The Lady of the Dark Castle
by Ying-Fa-dono
Summary: Belle must save her people and only by becoming the Dark One's servant will she be able to help them. Much to Belle's surprise, she can handle the Dark One pretty well...but his beautiful and poisonous wife Cora on the other hand...that's a whole other story.
1. The Deal is Struck

"I will go with you…forever."

"Deal!"

Just like that, despite the protests of her father and her fiancé, Belle sold her freedom for the sake of her people, saving them from the devastation of the ogre wars. Belle had been hesitant when her father had decided to try and contact the Dark One but there was little choice in the matter. The ogres had invaded her father's land, leveling villages and massacring the people. Their armies were falling, generals leading men into battle only to be struck down one by one. The fires of the battlefields and the blood of so many innocents had begun to turn even the sky red.

Belle's father, Lord Maurice, had put every single resource his kingdom had into defending the realm, but nothing helped. They'd received no help from their supposed allies. King George's kingdom was near bankruptcy and could not afford to send for any help. King Leopold had recently passed away and his only daughter, Princess Snow White, had disappeared. As Leopold's wife had predeceased him and he had no other heirs the kingdom was left without any proper ruler the magistrates of that kingdom could barely take care of their own people, much less try and save those of others. So, with no other option before declaring utter surrender, Belle's father had sought out one last chance, one last resource they hadn't tried: The Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin.

Rumpelstiltskin, it had been rumored, had once stopped another war with the ogres single-handedly and forged a truce that lasted over a hundred years. If anyone could deliver them from the horrific fate that awaited them should the ogres get past the city walls, their last defense, it would be him. However, Rumpelstiltskin always required a price must be paid for his efforts, no matter how trivial. Maurice had promised Rumpelstiltskin all the gold that their kingdom had left, but it seemed gold meant nothing to the Dark One. Instead, he asked for Belle, Maurice's only daughter and heiress, as his payment. Belle knew in her heart she would rather face whatever horror awaited her in the Dark Castle than watch her people suffer and die knowing that she could have done something to stop it. And so, her fate was sealed.

Rumpelstiltskin had guided her out of her palace, away from the people she'd cared about, before he waved his hand and the two of them were enveloped in smoke. When the smoke cleared, Belle was startled to see that her home, her village, even the surrounding forest were gone. Instead, she was standing in a new forest in the mountains, these woods much colder and snowier due to the increased altitude. Before her she saw the great Dark Castle, home of Rumpelstiltskin.

"Come along, dearie," said Rumpelstiltskin, putting one black-nailed, green-skinned hand on the small of her back to guide her. "There's someone you I'd like you to meet."

Belle hoped Rumpelstiltskin didn't see her swallow in anxiety. Oh, yes. She knew who it was that she was going to meet. Anybody who knew about Rumpelstiltskin knew about this person as well, for one was rarely spoken of without mention of the other. This was a person just as dark, just as _evil_, as he was.

The doors of the great castle opened on their own, admitting the two of them. Belle immediately noticed the entrance hall was heavily decorated with items. A trophy of an immense bear, a suit of armor, and a strange-looking lantern…

"Move along, now, move along," piped up Rumpelstiltskin, leading her forward with a flourish of his hands. Belle quickened her pace, staying as close as she dared to her new master. They walked up a flight of stairs, took a left and opened another door to a great dining hall, even more lavishly decorated with objects. They adorned the walls, the room lined with pedestals upon which sat strange weapons, curious trinkets and, in one corner of the room, a vast spinning wheel with a pile of straw on one side and a pile of spun gold on the other. Belle's immediate attention however, was drawn to the woman sitting at the table, examining a scroll of parchment so long that it fell off the table and ran along the floor.

She was a strikingly pretty woman with auburn hair piled up in a chignon at the back of her head, exposing the rosy skin of her neck and face. She had wide, dark eyes and full red lips adorning her sharp, defined face. She was dressed in a gown of red velvet that exposed her shoulders, collar, and the briefest hint of her bosom. When Rumpelstiltskin and Belle entered the room, she glanced up and her gaze locked instantly upon Rumpelstiltskin.

"Rumple," she sighed in a soft, deep voice. "My darling husband."

Rumpelstiltskin let out a high-pitched giggle of delight as he went over, took the woman's hand and helped her rise from her chair. "May I present," he announced to the room at large as if they were surrounded by an audience, his gaze fixed on the woman's face. "The Lady of the Dark Castle, my dear wife, Cora."

Cora's eyes fluttered as Rumpelstiltskin placed a delicate, lingering kiss on her hand with a small noise of contentment. "Cora, this is Belle," he said in the tone of an afterthought, as though he couldn't care less that Belle was standing a foot away.

"Hm," said Cora, looking away from her dark husband to glance at Belle. "You acquired Maurice's daughter I see. No problems I trust."

"Well, let's face it, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "They weren't really in a position to be picky."

"True," Cora agreed. She then stepped around her husband toward Belle, her eyes full of scrutiny. "Well, now that she's here, let's have a look at her."

Belle had no choice but to stand stalk still as Cora walked very slowly around her, like a vulture surveying a carcass. Every now and then, she'd touch her briefly, plucking her dress and fingering her hair. Belle did her best to stand tall and not flinch at the woman's touch.

"You seem fit enough," Cora surmised. "Well made, if a little on the skinny side. A bit pale… maybe a little too pale…I doubt you get in the sun too much, being the daughter of a Lord."

"N-no, that's not it," said Belle, softly. "I just prefer to stay inside and re…"

Cora cut her off by seizing Belle's wrist. She took Belle's hand and examined it closely, staring at it critically. She clucked her tongue in a disapproving manner.

"Such soft hands," she said, more to herself than to Belle. "Much too soft. You haven't done a day's work in your life, have you child? She'll get blisters just holding a broom, let alone sweeping."

Despite her fear and the aching emptiness in her heart that was the loss of her family and friends, Belle felt a sudden twinge of defiance. Cora was making her sound like some pampered little princess, which she wasn't. True, given her station, she was unused to things live physical labor, but her upbringing had been a little more involved than that of any princess Belle had ever known. Belle even considered herself quite strong and capable as a woman, considering her own efforts to help victims of the ogre wars. Belle had spent hours pouring over maps to help her father with battle strategy, had delivered food and bandages and supplies to soldiers and citizens. Apparently, though, the fruits of those efforts didn't show in the softness of her hands, hence Cora's look of distain.

"Is she not to your liking, my darling?" Rumpelstiltskin asked suddenly. "I could always get another one. Not too late to take her back."

Belle's heart twisted with sudden fear. They'd send her back? What about the deal? What about the help he'd promised to give her people? He couldn't just go back on it all and undo everything they'd agreed to…would he?

Cora looked Belle up and down one more time, humming slightly as she attempted to come to a decision. "Mmm…No, she'll do," she said at last. "I'd like to see how long it takes those soft little hands of her to turn coarse."

Rumpelstiltskin giggled again. "Excellent," he proclaimed. "We have our maid! Now," walked over and tapped Belle on the shoulder. "Follow me, dearie!"

Belle glanced uncertainly back at Cora before turning to follow Rumpelstiltskin. "Wh-where are you taking me?" she asked, tentatively.

"Let's call it…your room," Rumpelstiltskin answered, brightly. He led her out of the hall and down a flight of stone steps to a passageway without windows that was lit only with torches. "You'll stay here tonight and we'll see that you receive proper instructions regarding your duties tomorrow morning."

"I-I understand," said Belle.

Rumpelstiltskin flashed her a sideways grin before he waved his hand and one of the doors in the corridor opened without him touching it. Belle stepped forward and looked inside the room and her face fell. The room was made entirely out of stone, with barely a sliver of window that was covered in spiked bars. A cot made of rickety wood and flimsy cloth sat in a corner but other than that, the room was empty.

"My room?" Belle asked, incredulously.

"Well, it sounds a lot nicer than "dungeon"," Rumpelstiltskin quipped, before he promptly shoved Belle inside the room, closed the door, and locked it behind her with a wicked cackle. He then turned his back to the door and made his way back up the hallway, ignoring Belle's distant cries of, "You can't just leave me in here! Hello! Hello?"

Rumpelstiltskin reentered the dining hall where Cora was waiting for him. He smiled widely as he approached her. "So," he said. "Think she'll be to your liking?"

"I think so," said Cora, coming in closer to him. "I've been saying that this place needs a woman's touch."

"And now you have a proper lady's maid," said Rumpelstiltskin, reaching forward to take Cora into his arms. "Are you happy, my dear?"

"Completely," Cora insisted.

"Now, bear in mind," Rumpelstiltskin said with a note of mock sternness. "Don't go ripping her heart out at the first sign of trouble. It's not everyday you have a noble whose willing to give up his own flesh and blood to work as our servant."

Cora let out a very low laugh and kissed him on the cheek. "I won't," she insisted.

"Promise?" he asked, his voice suddenly an octave lower.

"I promise," she replied, kissing his other cheek.

"Now seal it," he murmured.

Cora beamed at him before she leaned forward and captured his lips with her own.

* * *

**Ying-Fa: Curse you vicious plot bunnies! Hey guys. Upon realizing that my two favorites Once episodes were Skin Deep and Miller's Daughter and watching them again, this nasty little idea came into my head. I haven't found many other stories like this but I know they're out there so here's my rendition. Join me, won't you?**


	2. Chipped

Belle spent a long, sleepless, miserable night dreading what tomorrow held in store for her. The weight of her situation had come crashing down on her like a ton of bricks. Her beloved father was gone forever, as were her friends and everyone she cared about back home. She was trapped in a cold and dreary dungeon, far away from her cozy quarters with her warm bed and her most beloved books. She would never be comfortable again. She would never feel warmth or love ever again. She was eternally at the mercy of the Dark One and his evil wife. Belle shut her eyes scrunched up her face tight, trying to keep her tears and cries of sadness from escaping her and falling upon the ears of her captors.

Cold, shivering, and miserable, Belle didn't even realize the night had passed until sunlight streamed in from between the bars in her cell window. She could never be sure if sleep ever came or if her torpor of sorrow had dulled her senses throughout the night. Belle stood up from her pitiful bed and hurried over to the bars of her window to look up at the morning sky. She could only see a tiny sliver of the heavens, the dark blue of night slowly turning pinkish orange with the dawn. She'd used to love getting up early to watch the sunrise when she was little, before the fires of war had stained the sky blood red. The mountain sky was clear of the horrible red glare, but her cell window didn't offer much in the way of a view. Was this truly all she'd have for the rest of her life?

The door to her cell opened and Belle spun around startled. There was nobody there. The heavy door had opened itself as if by magic (which Belle reminded herself it probably had) and she suddenly understood what it meant. Her new master and mistress were awake and it was time to get to work. Belle lifted the skirts of her gown and hurried through the doorway, glad to be out of the cell. As she passed, she spotted a note lying on the floor outside her cell. In spidery handwriting, she spotted her name written on it. She picked it up, unfolded it, and read:

_Go to the kitchens and prepare our morning tea. There you will receive further instructions._

_R&C_

Drawn below the message was a crude map telling her how to get to the kitchens from her cell. Resigned to her fate but determined not to let it affect her work, Belle hurried through the castle toward the kitchen. As she walked, she noticed that the corridors and chambers had an air of neglect to them. Belle figured that, since there were only two of them in the castle and it was so big, that this part of the castle didn't get much use. Therefore, things had become derelict in those parts of the castle that the Master and Lady of the house did not use every day.

Belle found the kitchen to be a dusty and cobwebbed place. The food kept in the larder, however, was as fresh as if it has been taken from the market just last night. Belle found a kettle but as it was so old and dusty she had to go to a water pump and give it a thorough washing before she attempted to make tea. It was at about this time that Belle realized she had only a vague idea of how to build a fire on her own, let alone make a satisfactory pot of tea.

Belle's father had been a lord and, as such, Belle had been subjected to all the finer treatments given to a lady of her station. She'd never had to cook for herself or clean, but would have handmaids to do that for her. Now that she was here she wished dearly that she'd paid more attention to what they were doing for her and felt a little ashamed that she hadn't appreciated them as much as she probably should have.

Cora's remarks about her soft hands suddenly resurfaced in Belle's mind and a surge of defiance swelled up inside her. Using that determination as her guide, she set about building the fire and beginning to make tea.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Rumpelstiltskin couldn't resist leaning across the table and kissing Cora's sweet lips just one more time. They were in the dining hall, awaiting their new caretaker to appear with their morning tea. The girl appeared to be taking her sweet time and Rumpelstiltskin couldn't think of a better way to spend that time than focusing on Cora. She accepted his advances, always did, with her sensual smile and batting her eyes at him.

"At this rate we'll be getting our morning tea around supper time," Cora said, leaning close to her husband and nuzzling her face in the crook of his neck.

"You were the one who wanted a noblewoman for our caretaker, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin reminded her, breathing in the smell of her hair. "I think we're going to be in for quite the trial period with this one."

Cora sighed. "I don't fancy the idea of cold tea and burned meals any more than the next person," she said. "Still, it'll be nice for her to learn her place in this castle. To see her bowing before us, waiting on us hand and foot, I can't think of anything more satisfying."

Rumpelstiltskin chuckled darkly. "That's why I love you, dearie," he murmured into her ear.

Cora hummed in approval and kissed his cheek. "I love you too, my darling."

Their cozy moment together was disrupted by the door opening and Belle entering the room, carrying a tray complete with a teapot and cups. Cora turned her attention away from her husband and raised her eyebrow at the girl. "Well, that certainly took long enough," she said, scathingly.

"I-I'm sorry," said Belle, humbly. Her hands still hurt terribly from trying to light the fire with the flint stone and it had taken ages for the fire to get hot enough to boil the water in the kettle. "I didn't mean to keep you waiting."

"Well, now that you're finally here," said Rumpelstiltskin. "Let's go over what it is that you'll be doing in this castle from now on."

"Right," said Belle, lifting the teapot and beginning to pour tea as she listened.

"You'll be serving us our meals and you will clean the Dark Castle."

"I understand."

"You will dust my collection and launder our clothing."

"Yes."

"You will fetch me fresh straw while I'm spinning at the wheel and you will attend to Lady Cora's every need."

"Got it."

"Oh and there's one more thing, darling," Cora prompted gently.

"Ah, yes!" said Rumpelstiltskin. "And you must make sure to skin the children I hunt for their pelts."

Belle stared at him with such shock that she dropped the teacup that she'd just filled, eyeing her new masters with terror. But Rumpelstiltskin merely grinned at her. "That one was a quip," he reassured her. "Not serious, dearie."

"O-oh…," Belle replied faintly. "Right."

"Oh good," said Cora suddenly. "First thing you can do is clean up all that tea you just spilled all over that nice rug."

"What? Oh!" Belle groaned, looking down at the spilled tea and placing the teacup back on the table. "I'm sorry, I really am…"

"And what's this?" Cora asked, reaching over the table and picking up the teacup. "Breaking things on your first day? You really know how to make an impression, don't you, my dear?"

Belle took the cup back from her and examined it sadly. "It…it's just a little chip," she said, trying to convince both Cora and herself that the jagged, missing piece wasn't that terrible. "You…you can hardly see it, really…"

"Poor thing, so out of her element," said Cora, sighing in mock sympathy. "What will ever become of you?"

"Alright, alright," said Rumpelstiltskin, lazily. "It's just a cup, Cora. There's a whole set. It doesn't matter if one gets nicked…"

Cora smirked at Belle one final time, but stopped her teasing all the same. Belle breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out the Dark One wasn't so monstrous as to punish her over a chipped cup.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Belle's relief had been short lived, once morning tea and breakfast were over. Cora had been true to her word and made Belle wash the rug that she'd spilled tea on. Not just the spot with tea on it, but the _entire_ rug, every square inch of it. Belle had spent the day on her hands and knees with a scrub brush and a bucket of soapy water, scrubbing down the rug until her hands were pruned from the water and raw from the work. Cora had made Belle clean the rug two more times (for good measure) before finally having Belle roll it up and carry it outside to dry. Belle was sure she'd pulled every muscle in her arms attempting to carry the immense, sodden rug out to the sun and even when the monstrous task was finally done to the Lady's liking, she'd then handed Belle a broom and had her sweep the whole of the main hall twice (in case of glass shards, she'd said).

Her body aching, her knees buckling together, her limbs screaming in protest, Belle had had no choice but to do as she bid. She did her best to hide her hands, which had dried up terribly and were starting to crack and bleed, from her mistress not wanting to hear any further remarks over their softness. But Cora's cold eyes had followed her all day as she sat and watched from a chair by the fire, sipping wine and smiling serenely.

By the end of the miserable day, Belle had barely been able to carry a tea tray to the main hall. Her arms were so weak and trembling the whole set rattled dangerously on the tray and Belle was terrified she'd drop it and break everything and then get into even more trouble. Cora took her time through dinner to criticize everything about Belle's handiwork to her husband at dinner. Rumpelstiltskin didn't comment on any of Cora's snide remarks, but he said nothing further in Belle's defense either. Finally, Cora had ordered Belle to clean up from dinner before finally allowing her to return to her cell to go to bed. Belle made her way back to the dungeon, her body wracked with pain and exhaustion, and the moment she stepped over the threshold of the cell, the door slammed closed and locked behind her magically.

Belle had gone to bed that night utterly exhausted but too miserable to sleep. The tears she'd tried to hard not to shed the night before now came in floods and lasted throughout the night.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

That evening Rumpelstiltskin and Cora retired to their chambers. Cora sat upon their bed and chatted away while Rumpelstiltskin changed into more comfortable sleeping attire.

"Poor thing didn't know which end of the broom was up," Cora was saying, laughing softly as she continued her long rant about their new caretaker. "It was positively laughable!"

"Of course it was," said Rumpelstiltskin. "Sheltered little thing like her has been raised her whole life to do nothing but sit and be pretty. Still, it was only day one, dearie, remember that. She has plenty of time to learn how to do things properly."

"I certainly hope so," said Cora. "She doesn't strike me as being very bright. I should think that she'd be able to make herself useful before long. But then again, it was ever so funny to see her prancing about."

"Well, hopefully she'll get the hang of things before you're bored with mocking her," said Rumpelstiltskin, coming over to the bed. "It's not everyday a lord is willing to part with his daughter to come work as our maid."

"Of course, dear," Cora replied lazily as her husband sat next to her on the bed. At once, Cora slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her to hold her tightly to him.

They only parted when the need for air could no longer be ignored. As they did, their eyes met and in that moment they knew that they were thinking the same thing. A question hung in the air between them, one that they both knew the answer to. Cora suddenly lowered her eyes and hung her head sadly. Rumpelstiltskin pulled her closer in a tight embrace, stroking her hair soothingly.

"Rumple…I…"

"Hush, dearie," he murmured softly. "It's alright."

"I'm sorry, my dear Rumple," Cora said sadly as she clung to her husband. "I'm sorry, I…I'm so sorry."

Rumpelstiltskin hushed her softly and continued in his attempts to soothe her. "We'll find a way. We…we'll find a way." But he sounded unsure and his empty words did little to comfort his wife.


	3. Prisoner

**Ying-Fa: I've been asked a lot about whether this is a Rumbelle or Corum fic (some people have even said they'd leave it if I answered wrong) Well, I'm here to set everyone's minds at ease. Ultimately, this is indeed a Rumbelle fic, but be prepared for a lot of Corum, especially to start off with. Rumple and Cora are happy right now, but there's more to their marriage than meets the eye...(dun dun dun) Also, this is Belle's story in an AU setting. Well, hope that didn't scare anyone off. Yammering is done. On with the fic!**

Belle had thought herself so strong, so brave, and so selfless as to surrender her life to the Dark One and his wicked wife. Even now, after two weeks in the company of the most evil beings in all the realms, Belle was sure that she'd make the same choice all over again. Unfortunately, the part of her that was well aware of her sore muscles, her blistered hands, her skinned knees, and her empty stomach made it so much more difficult to keep that state of mind.

Life in the Dark Castle started early and ended very late for Belle. She would wake in her cold, dark, damp cell every morning at sunrise by the sound of the heavy wooden door banging open. She would go to the kitchen immediately to make tea before starting on food for her masters' morning meal. Then she would be assigned chores by Lady Cora.

The Lady of the Dark Castle didn't seem to ever tire of giving Belle work only to scrutinize and mock her about how she'd do it. Every day she'd come up with some laborious task that would have taken five or six maids back in Belle's old home and made her do it all by herself with no help whatsoever. Cora made her wash windows so tall they nearly spanned from floor to ceiling, dust every inch of Rumpelstiltskin's massive collection of objects, launder heavy gowns and thick leather skins, and all manner of things.

The worse thing about it all was that Cora never seemed to want Belle out of her miserable sight! She was always there to mock her, to make snide comments, to insist she start over again. Belle's temper and patience were tried every single day and she did her utmost to suffer in silence. If she spoke up, she would put her village (and herself) in danger and the last thing she needed was to face the Dark One's wrath.

But that was the strangest thing. She'd had little, if any, interaction with the Dark One at all. He wasn't too often at the castle, probably off conducting business with some other desperate soul looking for help, and Belle only ever saw him at breakfast and supper. If he was home, he was either up in his tower (the one room Belle wasn't allowed to enter without permission) or at his spinning wheel, turning straw into gold. Cora would leave the castle too but not before giving Belle a list of things that had better be done before she got back. Rumpelstiltskin, on the other hand, asked for rarely anything. As long as food was on the table and he wasn't disturbed, Rumpelstiltskin neither asked nor required anything of Belle.

It figured that, of all the things she had to worry about in the Dark One's castle, the Dark One was the least of them. If only his poisonous wife were the same.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

One evening, after yet another day's work, Belle had been excused to the dungeon. She'd curled up on her cot, muscles aching and heart heavy. Her stomach was empty but she had no desire to touch the bread and water that was waiting for her in the cell. Belle was too caught up in her own mind. She missed her family so much her heart ached with every beat for them. Her arms and legs were so sore it hurt to move at all, her gown was ripped and dirty, wrinkled and worn for they had given her no other clothing. Her head swam with miserable thoughts and Belle lacked any strength to stop the tears that had begun falling from her eyes and could not hold back the sobs that racked her whole aching body.

As she unleashed her feelings, the door to her cell opened. Belle sat upright and tried to stifle her emotions. Crying was not something to do in front of others, she'd always been taught, even if it was in front of the person making you cry in the first place.

"Urgh! That incessant droning!" Cora complained, strutting into Belle's cell, her husband close behind. "Must you weep and wallow in your self pity every single night!?"

"Can't help but feel you're right," said Rumpelstiltskin, stepping in front of Cora and toward Belle. "For someone who was so willing to come and work for us, I admit I didn't think she'd miss her family quite _this_ much."

Belle's patience finally failed her. Days she had been obedient, weeks she'd been silent, but now Cora refused to leave her alone even now? It was too much.

"I'm sorry!" Belle snapped, brushing tears furiously from her cheeks. "Don't let my misery spoil your evening _my lady_! I came here for my family, sacrificed everything for them and I guess I thought I had a right to miss them!"

"Oh," said Cora, looking mildly surprised as opposed to angry. "Someone's feeling feisty this evening isn't she? Nothing good happens when hot-tempered little servants don't do as they are told."

"I've done nothing _except _what I've been told," Belle retorted. "That's quite a lot to be getting on with when you're taking orders from a pair of _beasts_!"

Cora flushed angrily. "You insolent….!" She started toward Belle, but Rumpelstiltskin held out a hand to stop her.

"Careful, dear," he said softly. "Remember how much you wanted her here in the first place. You kill her now we'll have to start all over again."

Cora huffed. "Don't tell me you're standing up for her!"

"No, no, no, of course not," said Rumpelstiltskin, soothingly. "She insults either of us again, I'll break her neck. Still, that's not why we brought her here."

Cora rolled her eyes, gave Belle a look that could kill, and stalked out of the dungeon without another word. Belle was now left alone with Rumpelstiltskin, the first time they had been since he'd first brought her here.

"Now, you," he said, his voice suddenly much lower and more threatening. "Best guard that tongue of yours unless you want my wife to rip it out. Keep your misery to yourself."

"I was trying to," Belle insisted. "She keeps me in her sight at all times. The evenings are the only time I get to myself and I just…"

"Yes, yes, yes," Rumpelstiltskin said, annoyed. "Seriously though. The crying _must_ stop. Night after night, woman! It's making it every difficult to spin! I do my best thinking then."

Belle didn't dare to say anything more to him. She simply folded her arms and tried not to let her exhaustion and sadness turn into more tears. Rumpelstiltskin stood there, eyeing her for a while and drumming his fingertips together. After a moment, he sighed and waved his hand in the air. There was a puff of purpleish smoke and large feather pillow appeared in his hand.

"Here," he said, gruffly. "Perhaps this will help."

Belle blinked in confusion. Was he actually giving something to her? "F-for me?" she asked, uncertainly.

"Not so _beastly_ now, am I?" he snapped, all but throwing the pillow at her. Belle caught it. It was very soft and quite reminiscent of the ones she had in her own bed back home. Belle tried not to dwell on that.

"Thank you," she said, as humbly as she could. "Maybe now I can get some sleep."

"Oh, it's not to help you sleep, dearie," he said. "It's to muffle all that _crying_ so I can get back to work!"

Rumpelstiltskin turned to leave but paused. The sound of a distant crash was heard somewhere upstairs. Rumpelstiltskin left abruptly and Belle, intrigued, followed him out and, to her surprise, he did nothing to stop her.

The two entered the Main Hall to find a hooded figure lifting a magic wand from a display in the corner of the room near Rumpelstiltskin's spinning wheel. He was tall and muscular with a bow and a quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder.

"Are you quite sure you want to do this, dearie?" piped up Rumpelstiltskin.

The thief's head snapped around to look at them. Though he'd been caught, the thief remained surprisingly calm. He smiled and lowered his hood to reveal a handsome, strong face with short brown hair and the beginnings of a beard. He was actually smiling cheekily at Rumpelstiltskin.

"Pretty sure," he said, lightly.

"If you don't know how to use that wand, I can do _nasty_ things to you," said Rumpelstiltskin, as though he and the thief were simply having a discussion over drinks.

"Well then," said the thief, deliberately pulling his bow and a golden arrow from off his back. "I'll stick to what I know works. You know what this bow can do to you?"

"Well, it has to hit me first," Rumpelstiltskin pointed out before he disappeared from Belle's side by the door and reappeared feet away from the thief.

The thief wasn't phased, or if he was, he didn't show it. "That shouldn't be a problem," he said, drawing the arrow and preparing to fire. "An arrow fired from this bow always finds its target. Don't you just _love_ magic?"

The thief fired the arrow, but Rumpelstiltskin disappeared yet again before it hit him. But the arrow swerved in midair, changing direction so that, when Rumpelstiltskin reappeared nearer the thief, the arrow shot forward and struck him straight in the chest.

Belle gasped as Rumpelstiltskin simply stood there, looking stunned. The thief smirked.

"I know I do," he said pocketing the wand and making for the broken window from which he came. But his pathway was blocked by another cloud of purplish smoke.

"So do _I_!" Rumpelstiltskin materialized yet again in front of the thief and plucked the arrow from his own chest. There was no blood, no sign of any wound. The grin slid from the thief's face and he made for the door, but they slammed shut before he could reach them.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said a deep, cool voice. Cora had appeared blocking the doorway and smiling at the thief the way a cat would eye a juicy bird. "Where you not expecting there to be two of us?"

The thief's eyes darted between Rumpelstiltskin and Cora, his confident manner now gone and a look of real panic starting to form on his face.

"You should have known, dearie," said Rumpelstiltskin, cheerfully. "All magic comes with a price…and in your case…that's me!" He waved his hand and the thief disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Wh-what have you done to him?" Belle asked, timidly.

"Send him to one of the less cozy dungeons," said Rumpelstiltskin. The thief's bow and quiver had clattered to the floor when their owner disappeared. The wand he'd attempted to steal was also there.

"It seems you're going to have a neighbor, Belle dear," said Cora. "That should help soothe you and your longing for home."

But the idea of another prisoner in the next dungeon over only made Belle feel, if possible, worse.


	4. Belle's Bold Move

**Ying-Fa: Wow. I guess I did scare people away. Only 3 reviews. That just makes me feel sad. Well, thank you so much Robin4, Twyla Mercedes, and Wondermorena for taking that time to leave a review. I really do appreciate it. Hope you guys like this one better!**

Rumpelstiltskin paced his and Cora's bedchamber that evening, agitated. "The people are growing bold," he murmured. "Never before has anyone dared to enter here. Nobody steals from me. Nobody!"

"This thief must have been quite desperate," said Cora. She was sitting on the bed and stroking the thief's bow in her hands. "He's had dealings with the fairies as well, it seems. This bow has been blessed by the Ruel Gorem. I can feel her sickening sweet magic helping it work."

Rumpelstiltskin growled low in his throat. "The Blue Fairy…how many times must she interfere in my affairs?! Next time I see her, I'll turn _her_ into fairy dust!"

Cora grinned. "I'd love to see that. But you're letting your hatred of her cloud your thoughts. We must think of what to do with the thief."

"What else is there to be done?" Rumpelstiltskin asked. "Let him stew in the dungeon until I show him what it looks like to have your own heart crushed before your eyes."

"Always a fun option," said Cora. "But I was thinking…maybe we'd make a bit more of an example of him. Make sure the entire realm knows what happens should they dare challenge us."

Rumpelstiltskin stopped pacing and smiled at his wife. "You're exactly right," he said. "We can't just kill him, that'd be too simple. You can't see the impact of a crushed heart just by looking. But if he were…oh, I don't know…skinned alive…?" he shot Cora a sideways glance. "Who would dare question us again?"

Cora rose from the bed and walked over to her husband and placed her hands on shoulders. "My dear, I simply love how your mind works," she said as she pecked his cheek affectionately. "Let the world see what happens when they challenge the two most powerful beings in the world."

"And let Ruel Gorem know that she cannot take anything from me ever again," said Rumpelstiltskin, darkly.

Cora patted his hair. "Darling, what happened to Baelfire…."

"She can't stop me!" Rumpelstiltskin said, cutting her off. "No matter what she does to me…to us…" he lowered his eyes. His heart grew heavy as he thought about what the Blue Fairy and King Xavier had done to him and his dear wife so long ago.

"You will find the way," said Cora, reassuringly.

Rumpelstiltskin grinned at her. "Of course I will. I have you."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The next day Belle was sweeping the main hall and trying her hardest to ignore the screams and cries of pain echoing up from the dungeon. Cora was in the room, watching her as always. She was reading and sipping wine and seemed completely at ease with the idea that a man was being tortured and possibly killed just a flight of stairs below.

Belle felt more uncomfortable today than she had ever since she'd gotten to the Dark Castle. She'd been miserable and in pain, yet she still hadn't felt quite like she did now. Up until now, she'd known that Rumpelstiltskin and Cora would only torture her with work and chores. They hadn't whipped her or personally inflicted pain to her. But as she heard the thief crying out in agony downstairs, Belle knew that the Dark couple could, and might, hurt her physically if they wanted. And what was he being tortured for? Trying to take a trinket from the hall? Rumpelstiltskin possessed many trinkets. What was the loss of only one?

Rumpelstiltskin burst through the door suddenly. He was wearing a leather apron over his clothing and it was now stained with vibrant red blood.

"How's it coming, darling?" Cora asked, nonchalantly.

"He's stubborn," grumbled Rumpelstiltskin, untying the apron and throwing it on the table. "I'm gonna need another apron," he added to Belle.

Belle swallowed a bit of bile that crept up her throat at the sight of the blood, but answered nonetheless. "They're…they're on the line," she replied. "It'll take awhile."

"Fine, fine," he said irritably. "Start cleaning this one too. Cora, let's go."

"Coming, darling," said Cora, putting down her book and wine glass. "Is it King George again?"

"Yes," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "But I could use the break. We'll be back later," he said, turning around to look at Belle.

Belle clutched her broom so tightly her knuckles turned white. She wanted to say something. She had to say something. Before they could leave the hall, the words Belle wanted to say blurted out before she could stop herself. "All this because he tried to steal a magic wand!?"

Rumpelstiltskin turned to look at her. "No," he said, as though he was addressing someone very slow. "Because he tried to steal from _me!_ You do that, you get skinned alive! That's just how it is."

"But how does that…"

"I don't like how talkative you're becoming, Belle dear," piped up Cora. "For the sake of that pretty face, I'd watch what comes out of it."

With that, the Dark couple left the main hall. Belle waited until she heard the main doors in the entrance hall close before looking over in the direction of the dungeon. What should she do? She couldn't possibly just leave that man there to die. She didn't know what had motivated him to steal from the Dark One, but what they were doing to him…what they had in store for him…

Belle dropped her broom and made for the dungeon. She stopped by the kitchens and grabbed the first cup she could find, the chipped one she'd broken her first day in the castle, and filled it with cold water. She then hurried over to the dungeon where the thief was being held.

It was a dreadful sight. The thief's wrists were chained to a hook in the ceiling as the rest of his body dangled numbly. His shirt had been ripped from him, but the sleeves were still intact. Long cuts and trails of blood covered his exposed torso and his sweaty face was twisted in pain.

"Have they sent you…to finish the job?" he asked, hoarsely.

"Here," Belle said, rushing forward and pressing the cup to the thief's lips. He drank greedily before stopping to take a breath. "And no. I've come to put a stop to this. No one…no one deserves to be tortured."

Belle rushed forward and started tugging at the chains binding the thief to the ceiling. He gave a dry laugh.

"I couldn't agree more," he said. "But won't he turn his wrath on you?"

"If either of them does I'll stand up to them like the pair of beasts they are," Belle said, defiantly. Weeks of obedience and work, of suppressing her willpower and forcing herself to remain docile and calm, and Belle's rebellious side finally broke free. She couldn't sit idly by and let some atrocity take place right under her nose. This man might have been a thief, but even thieves deserved a chance.

Belle got the thief free and he fell to his knees with a loud groan. He rubbed his wrists gratefully and pushed himself up to his feet slowly and painfully. "You have to hurry," she told him. "They'll be back soon."

The thief looked over at her. He looked her up and down, his expression one of quiet gratitude. "They'll kill you once they knew you freed me," he said, solemnly. "But if…you came with me…"

Belle shook her head before he could finish. "I can't go," she insisted. "I made a deal. My life in exchange for that of my village, that was the agreement. If I ran away now, I might survive…but my people won't."

The thief kept staring at her, but he still took a step toward the door. "I'll not forget this," he promised. "All I can do is wish you luck. If I had your name…"

"It's Belle," she told him. "Now go. Quickly."

The thief didn't waste another moment. His reluctance to leave her alone in the dungeon was clear, but he couldn't stay if he valued his life. He turned and, on wobbly legs, rushed out of the dungeon.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

It took Belle all of a half hour to realize just what she'd done. Her heart pounded harder with every moment she waited for Rumpelstiltskin and Cora to return. What would they do to her when they realized what she did? Would they string her up and skin her too? Would they just kill her at once or would they make her suffer? Belle only hoped that they left her people alone. The deal had been her life in exchange for their safety. They could do whatever they liked with her life, but surely they'd stick to the agreement and leave her family and friends alone…wouldn't they?

In spite of her fear, Belle couldn't bring herself to regret her decision to let the thief go. When she saw him in the hall, she didn't see malice or greed. She saw humility, honor, some mischief but nothing mean-spirited. Something had driven that man to steal and he did not deserve what Rumpelstiltskin had in store for him. But did she?

The doors to the castle opened and Belle tried to look busy. Rumpelstiltskin and Cora were deep in conversation as they entered the Main Hall.

"…not my fault the son I gave him was an arrogant wretch," said Rumpelstiltskin.

"Still angry about all those ruined portal beans when he led the slaughter against the last of the giants, dear?" Cora asked, sympathetically.

Rumpelstiltskin growled in his throat. "Well, he's not my problem anymore," he said darkly. "Can't say I'm sorry he's dead."

"You think that shepherd will do any better?" Cora asked.

"He seems to have some potential," Rumpelstiltskin said, thoughtfully. "Definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he'll have to make due."

Belle was barely paying attention. She had picked up the book that Cora had been reading and was flicking through the pages absentmindedly. Her heart was pounding so hard it hurt.

"And speaking of sharp tools," said Rumpelstiltskin, suddenly. "I have a prisoner to see to downstairs."

"Alright, darling," said Cora. "Enjoy yourself."

"I'll be as quiet as possible," he promised as he headed in the direction of the dungeons. "Can't say the same for our guest, though."

Cora smiled and watched him leave the room before she turned her attention to Belle. "Don't tell me you were just sitting here doing nothing while we were gone," she said, crossly.

"N-no," Belle insisted. "I was just…looking through your book. I…I haven't been able to read since I got here."

Cora gave a slight huff of laughter. "A noble woman with a love of the written word? Don't see one of those everyday. I thought your kind were only interested in painting your faces and prancing about until you are bought off your fathers to become brood mares for future husbands."

Belle gaped at her indignantly. What was Cora's problem with noble women anyway? "For your information, I actually…."

"BELLE!"

Belle jumped. Cora looked around. Rumpelstiltskin had returned and the cold look twisting his strange face was all Belle needed to see to know that he'd found out what she'd done.

"What. Did. You. Do!?" he hissed, striding toward her, his orb-like eyes filled with rage.

Belle's fingernails dug into her palms as she fought to remain calm. _Do the brave thing and bravery will follow._ "I let him go," she answered finally.

The words had only left Belle's mouth when the side of her face was hit with such force that she fell right out of the chair she'd been sitting on and fell to the floor. Cora had smacked her, it seemed, with all the power she could muster.

"You stupid, FOOLISH girl!" Cora snapped harshly. "How DARE you interfere with our affairs!?"

But Belle had had enough. She was tired of being obedient and docile. She refused to let these two walk all over her or treat her like she was less than human. She was going to stand up for herself and she no longer cared what happened to her now.

"I couldn't just let you torture him like that!" Belle said, turning to face them, her cheek on fire from where Cora had slapped her.

"He was a thief!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted.

"That doesn't give you the right to kill him!" Belle insisted.

"IT GIVES ME EVERY RIGHT!" Rumpelstiltskin roared.

Rumpelstiltskin stared right at Belle and she stared right back. She could see he was angry, very much so, but she couldn't see malice in his eyes. Somehow she knew he wasn't going to hurt her in his anger, just as she'd known the thief was not a malicious person. She didn't quite know how she knew, but she just did. Her father had always told her she could read people as easily as any book.

"I saw good in that man," Belle fought back; still half sprawled on the floor. "He meant no harm to anyone. He just wanted to escape with his own life!"

"Well, he certainly got away with more than just his life, didn't he," Cora piped up, looking over her shoulder. The display where the magic wand had rested was now empty. The thief had gotten what he came for. Belle's heart sank.

"Well, well," said Rumpelstiltskin, coldly. "Looks like you've been made quite a fool of, haven't you dearie?"

"Th-there has to be an explanation," Belle insisted, unwilling to admit she was wrong. "There had to be a reason he wanted that wand…"

"He wanted the wand because it was MAGIC!" Rumpelstiltskin snarled. "People who steal magic never have good intentions!"

"You can't tell what's in a person's heart until you truly know them!" Belle fought back.

"Enough!" demanded Cora, putting an end to the argument between her husband and her servant. "Time is of the essence, Rumple."

Rumpelstiltskin shut his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose in an effort to calm down. "You're right," he said. "We can't let him get away with this. I'll have to track him down and finish what I started."

"And her?" said Cora, talking about Belle as if she was something very nasty that didn't understand her. "What can I do with her?"

Belle swallowed dryly. Here it was. It was time for her to be punished for her misbehavior. Whatever it was, she had to take it. She would take it. She was ready. _Do the brave thing and bravery will follow._

Rumpelstiltskin looked down at Belle, apparently thinking hard. "You do nothing," he said slowly. "She's coming with me."

"What?" both Cora and Belle said at the same time, earning Belle a deadly look from Cora.

"Kill her now and she'll just think herself a martyr," said Rumpelstiltskin coldly. "Instead, I think we take a simpler approach. After all, the best way to deal with a disobedient servant," he glared down at Belle. "Is to break her spirit."

Rumpelstiltskin waved his arm in the air and, in a puff of smoke, the thief's bow appeared. "You," he snapped at Belle. "You're coming with me to track down that thief. You're going to be there to see the consequence of your actions. And you _will see_ that thief's death by means of his very own bow. Then, dearie, we'll see just what's in his heart!"


	5. A Man and a Beast

**Ying-Fa: A quick shout out to Twyla Mercedes for her kind words of wisdom. THANKS, TWYLA!**

A short while later, Belle was sitting in the entrance hall, wrapped in a cloak, and waiting as Rumpelstiltskin prepared to leave.

"We'll be back before long," Rumpelstiltskin told his wife as he fastened a cloak around his neck.

"In that case, you might beat me back," said Cora, who seemed to be preparing herself for an outing as well. "I have some business I have to deal with in the North Kingdom."

"Fine," he grunted, still focusing on his cloak. He seemed very irritated since the confrontation in the Hall earlier. He had not spoken to, or even looked at, Belle since he'd told her to get ready to leave.

Cora smiled at her husband and placed her hand on his cheek. "Hey," she said, softly. He turned to look at her. "Bring me back a souvenir?"

That seemed to snap Rumpelstiltskin out of his rut. He smiled, leaned in, and kissed her on the cheek. "Don't I always?"

They exchanged one last smile before Rumpelstiltskin rounded on Belle. He waved his hand irritably at her and she took that as her cue to follow him outside the castle. Just beyond the front doors, a carriage was waiting.

"Get in," he ordered. Belle obeyed immediately. She'd figured she'd had enough bold rebellions for one day.

Rumpelstiltskin got in the seat opposite her and waved his hand over the bow. It shimmered with magic and hummed lightly in his hands.

"W-what's that?" Belle asked.

"A tracking spell," he said, shortly. "It'll tell me how to find its owner."

Rumpelstiltskin snapped his fingers and the horses began to move without the aid of a driver. Belle sat awkwardly in the carriage, heading toward the thief whom she'd have to watch die.

Belle had never witnessed someone dying before. Her mother had died when Belle had been born and she had no memory of her whatsoever. As lord of their land, her father had sometimes had to witness punishments and even the odd execution in their village. Her village was so small and crime so scarce that such drastic measures were rarely taken. Sometimes, though, they'd been deemed necessary. Belle remembered the last person to be put to death in her village had been guilty of going insane and killing his family, which had included two children. Her people had cried for the madman's blood and her father decided to give it to them. He'd witnessed the man's hanging, but hadn't made Belle come with him. Whether it was because he didn't think she could handle the sight or because he hadn't wanted her exposed to such a thing, she wasn't sure.

Belle remembered feeling both annoyed and relieved that her father hadn't made her witness executions and punishments. She had no desire to see bloodshed anymore than the next person, but as she would lead one day she ought to be able to be involved in all things that her father also did.

Well, she supposed. This was her chance. She was heading off now to her first execution. Only this time, the man had done nothing more than take one trinket from a man (or beast, she wasn't sure which) who had more than enough to get by on. A far simpler crime than a massacre of one's own flesh and blood, and Belle's stomach churned at the very idea.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

They'd been traveling for hours it seemed. The wobbly, jolting carriage made its way across the countryside, sinking deeper and deeper into a thick forest. Belle had read several books about maps of the realm back home. If she remembered correctly then they were headed to the Eastern Kingdoms of Nottingham, which was surrounded by the dense and dangerous Sherwood Forest.

"We're losing track of him," said Rumpelstiltskin finally. He hadn't spoken to Belle once during this whole trip. "This forest is too thick."

Belle doubted her opinion would matter but, since they were speaking, she might as well offer it. "Perhaps we could just return home?" she said, hopefully.

"What? And let the thief escape?" Rumpelstiltskin said, mockingly. "What would everyone think if they knew I'd spared the life of someone who stole from me?"

"That there's actually a man behind the monster?" Belle offered.

"There isn't," he said, coldly.

Belle sat back and bit her lip, unsure if she should say what was on her mind in case she was pushing her luck.

"What?" he snapped. "I can see you want to say something so say it!"

"I don't think that's true," said Belle, in a rush.

"Don't you?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

"No," said Belle. "A monster wouldn't care what others thought about him. A monster wouldn't have let me live after I freed the prisoner."

"First off," Rumpelstiltskin interrupted. "The more people know what I can do, the more they fear me, and the less people have to die, so I thought you'd be grateful for that. Secondly, I would have killed you, or let Cora do it, but good help is really hard to find. That and Cora's so picky with servants it would have taken me ages to find another one. So there."

"That's the other thing," Belle went on. "You have a heart. You have your wife, whom you love. How could you be a monster if you loved her so? Unless you're saying you don't."

Rumpelstiltskin started at her for a moment, and then the corner of his mouth rose in a half-smile. "Of course I love her," he said, coolly. "But you see that's the thing, dearie. Even though I can be a monster and love her at the same time."

Belle frowned. "How's that?"

"Because," he leaned in closer as if to tell her a secret. Belle couldn't help herself and leaned in as well. "She's one TOO!"

He shouted the last word and made Belle jump back, startled. Rumpelstiltskin laughed nastily at her reacting. "And if there's one thing we both love, it's our _things!_" he snapped. "Thievery is inexcusable."

Belle folded her arms and glared at him. This _being_ was absolutely infuriating. "Then I guess you are as dark as people say," she huffed.

"Darker, dearie," he said, sounding proud. "_Much_ darker."

The sound of more horses further up the road caught Rumpelstiltskin's attention. He waved his hand and the horses slowed to a stop. He got out of the carriage and Belle followed.

Three men on horses had appeared in their path. The leader was a big, lumbering man with stringy hair and an unkempt beard. One look at him and it was clear that he'd been drinking. He vaguely reminded Belle of her old fiancé Gaston when he'd return from the pub with the fellow knights.

"What're you doing in my woods!?" the leader bellowed, his speech slurred with drunkenness.

Rumpelstiltskin walked forward, confidently. "Good afternoon, Sheriff," he said. He spoke in a calm, easygoing voice that slightly mimicked the leader's own slurred speech. "I'm looking for a thief. He attacked me with this bow," he showed the weapon to him. "I've tracked him as far as these woods."

"Ah," grunted the Sheriff, eyeing the weapon with loathing. "I know who you're tracking. And I know who you are…Rumpelstiltskin."

Rumpelstiltskin smiled. "My reputation precedes me. Excellent!"

The Sheriff looked over Rumpelstiltskin's shoulder at Belle. "And the missus, I take it?" he asked.

"Her?" Rumpelstiltskin answered. "No, no, of course not. She's merely a servant."

Belle huffed again, but kept silent.

"I see," said the Sheriff of Nottingham. "I've heard you're one for making deals, Dark One. I'll tell you where you can find your thief…if you give me something in return."

"What do you want?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, looking as though he'd done this a thousand times.

The Sheriff took a long drink from a hip flask and pointed an unsteady finger at Belle. "A night with your wench," he grunted.

Belle didn't bother to hide her disgust. She didn't want to take even a step closer to this so-called Sheriff, let alone….She stared at Rumpelstiltskin. This trip was meant to be her punishment. He had wanted her spirit broken. Would he give her away?

Rumpelstiltskin frowned and turned around as if expecting someone else to be standing there besides Belle. When he saw that no one was, he turned back and gave the Sheriff and incredulous look. "She's not for sale," he said, slowly.

The Sheriff let out a laugh. "Oh, come on then!" he insisted. "Don't tell me she's keeping you company in the absence of your wife? Keeping the bed warm until the missus returns, eh?"

Rumpelstiltskin didn't seem to appreciate the Sheriff's humor. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Of course not," he said, slowly.

"Then surely you can part with her for…an hour?" the Sheriff suggested. "Twenty minutes tops?" He was smiling as if the whole thing were a crude joke. Rumpelstiltskin, it seemed, didn't find it very funny.

"Let me think," he said, scratching his chin. Then he snapped his fingers and a cloud of smoke issued out of the Sheriff's mouth and into Rumpelstiltskin's hand. The smoke disappeared and something pink and slimy sat in Rumpelstiltskin's palm. It took Belle a moment before she realized, to her horror, that it was the Sheriff's own tongue.

"I propose a new deal," he said, waving the tongue in front of the Sheriff's shocked face. The Sheriff gagged and tried to speak, but he could form no words without his tongue. "I give you this back and you're gonna tell me _everything_ I wanna know about the man I'm hunting, understand?"

The Sheriff grunted and tried to communicate without his tongue in a manner that might have been comical if it wasn't so terrible. Rumpelstiltskin laughed.

"You ought to be more careful with your possessions, dearie," he cackled. "Now, do we have a deal?"

The Sheriff croaked again.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

The Sheriff repeated his actions more urgently.

"I'll take that as a "yes", shall I?"

The Sheriff nodded feverishly. Rumpelstiltskin waved his hand and the smoke reappeared. When it cleared again, the tongue was back in its owner's mouth. The Sheriff reached his fingers inside and felt it, grateful for its return.

"The thief?" Rumpelstiltskin prompted him, impatiently.

"The man you're tracking," said the Sheriff, hoarsely. "I've been tracking him for years! He's ruined me! He…he stole the woman I loved and…made me the laughingstock of all of Nottingham!"

"Where can I find him?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, impatiently.

"Last I heard he's hiding in Sherwood Forest," the Sheriff replied.

"And his name?"

The Sheriff frowned. "Robin Hood," he said. "He goes by…Robin Hood."

Rumpelstiltskin grinned triumphantly. "I'm grateful for your time," he said. He then turned his back on the Sheriff and motioned for Belle to get back into the carriage. Belle did so without hesitation. She was just as grateful to be away from the Sheriff as the Sheriff was to be away from Rumpelstiltskin.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Far away from Sherwood Forest, Cora appeared in a flash of smoke. She was facing the old ruins of an abandoned mill. She looked around the place with deep loathing. How she hated this place. How it repulsed her even after all these years. It was the last place anyone would expect to find her, which is what made it such a perfect place for what she was hiding.

Cora wandered over to the foundation stones surrounding the mill. She found the loose stone in the cobbled garden wall and wiggled it free. This was where she had always hidden things. It was where she'd used to hide money from her father so he wouldn't spend it foolishly. She would also hide his liquor here to keep him from being too drunk to provide for them. Now, however, it hid a secret treasure that nobody, not even her husband, knew she had.

Cora reached into the crevice and pulled out a golden lamp. Intricately designed and embedded with three jewels. Two of these jewels were dull and dark, while the third was shiny and glowing with its own inner magic. Cora smiled at the third gem as it twinkled in the lamp.

_Not quite yet_, she reminded herself.

She then reached out her hand and stroked the lamp three times with her pale fingers. Right on cue, a man appeared behind her. He had dark skin, wide black eyes, and a thick black mustache. He was dressed in big loose pants and pointed toed slippers and a gleaming, brightly-colored vest over an otherwise bare chest. A turban was wrapped tightly around his head.

"You summoned me, Mistress?" he asked. His voice was deep and accented.

"Yes," she said. "I've come to check on your progress."

"I'm doing everything I can, my lady," he replied somberly. "I've searched the woods and forests as you instructed, yet I've found no trace of her just yet."

"How difficult can it be to find a pampered princess wandering around the woods?" snapped Cora.

"Even my powers have limits," he reminded her, calmly. "You knew that when you found my lamp."

"Of course I remember," she snarled. "That's why I was so careful in using that first wish. Nobody knows the price of magic better than my husband and I."

"Speaking of your husband," the man said. "I take it he still does not know."

Cora grinned. "Of course not," she said. "I love my husband with all my heart and soul. He's my world and yet…well, he has his little secret from me…so it's only fair that I have one from him."

"But your second wish…it affects the both of you," said the man, startled.

"You get no say in what I do, Genie," said Cora, stroking the lamp like a pet. "You are my slave from now until I no longer have any use of you. Now find me that wretched princess. There's revenge to be had."


	6. Mercy

**Ying-Fa: Well, I had to do SOMETHING while I was waiting for Once to come on tonight! Yay! Happy Once-Is-Back day everybody!**

Belle marched obediently behind Rumpelstiltskin as they trudged slowly through Sherwood Forest. Rumpelstiltskin was closing in on the thief, Robin Hood, and had the bow ready in his hands. Belle fought to keep herself from yanking it out of his hands and breaking it over her knee. She'd been touched when he'd spared her from the Sheriff of Nottingham, but she felt his generosity towards her had already reached its limit. He'd brought her here to make her watch Robin Hood die and that was all.

Rumpelstiltskin came to a sudden halt and threw out his arm to stop Belle. "He's coming," he said, quietly. "I can feel him drawing nearer this place."

"H-how can you know that?" Belle asked, confused.

"The Sheriff gave me his name," Rumpelstiltskin said, simply. "I can find anyone in the world if I have their name. Names have a lot of power in the hands of those who know how to use it."

Belle bit her lip. "It…it's not too late to turn back," she said hopefully.

Rumpelstiltskin ignored her. His wide, golden eyes were scanning the area for the thief. He took an arrow from the quiver and loaded it in the bow, getting ready. Belle couldn't stand it.

"I'm not going to just stand by and let you kill someone!" she snapped. She was at her wits end. She didn't want to press her luck with him anymore but she refused to allow a man to die if there was anything she could do to prevent it.

"Well, you're welcome to sit if you like," Rumpelstiltskin snarled back at her. "But you ARE going to watch. That's the whole point of this, remember? To see what your actions wrought!" He turned his attention back to the woods. His eyes narrowed. "There he is."

Robin Hood had appeared a few yards away down a sloping hill. He was half concealed behind a tree and was watching the forest path expectantly. Belle watched him too. "He's…waiting for someone," she said, thoughtfully.

"Backup, no doubt," said Rumpelstiltskin, readying the bow.

"No, wait!" said Belle, grabbing his arm to stop him.

The sound of horses and creaking wooden wheels suddenly sounded at the bottom of the hill. Two horses were pulling a wagon lead by a large, cloaked figure. In the wagon, a woman was laying amidst a pile of woven blankets and pillows. She looked terribly pale and was coughing so harshly, they could near it all the way at the top of the hill.

"That woman…" said Belle, realization hitting her.

"Must be the one he stole from the Sheriff," said Rumpelstiltskin, bitterly.

"She…she's ill," Belle told him, her eyes widening. "She's going to die!"

"Yeah, and so is he," Rumpelstiltskin growled, readying the bow again.

"Wait!" Belle repeated, stopping him again.

The two watched as Robin Hood darted towards the wagon and to the woman's side. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the wand he'd stolen. He then waved the wand very slowly over the woman from head to foot and back again. The wand glowed with a soft light and the woman's violent coughing had stopped. Color rushed back into her face. She opened her eyes, looking slightly confused, and then her gaze fell upon her savior.

"Robin," she said, her face breaking into a smile.

"Marian," Robin Hood replied, beaming down at her.

At the top of the hill, Belle smiled triumphantly.

"I knew it! I knew I was right!" she said, happily. "He only stole the wand because he was trying to save her life. He wanted to save the woman he loved."

"He's still a thief," said Rumpelstiltskin, unmoved.

Belle looked at him appalled. "So what if he stole your precious wand!? She would have died!"

"And now HE gets to die!" Rumpelstiltskin bellowed at her. "And now she can tell all of Sherwood Forest what happens when you cross Rumpelstiltskin!"

Rumpelstiltskin waved his hand and suddenly the ground under Belle's feet opened up. In a moment of dark surprise, Belle sank waist deep into the earth as it closed it around her sealing her in the earth. She couldn't get free.

"That ought to give you a decent view," Rumpelstiltskin snapped, arming the bow for a third time.

"No," Belle cried. How could he be so heartless? In all the time she'd been at the Dark Castle so far, he'd never shown such ruthlessness. His wife had, certainly, but not him. He'd stood up for her when she'd chipped that cup. She'd seen a flicker of something good in him. She didn't want to believe he would be so cruel as to ruin the happiness of someone who was only trying to save the life of another.

Rumpelstiltskin readied the bow and started to take aim. Belle continued to plead with him. "You don't have to do this," she said desperately. "I was right about that thief and…I think I'm right about you! You're not without at heart. Please just let them be."

Belle's cries fell upon deaf ears as he pulled back the arrow, ready to fire. Robin Hood was now helping Marian out of the wagon. It was only then that they noticed something that they hadn't before. Underneath the thick blankets that had been covering her, Marian had been concealing slightly swollen belly. The beginnings of a child.

"She's pregnant!" Belle gasped. "Y-you can't…please…you can't leave a child fatherless."

Rumpelstiltskin wasn't listening to Belle anymore, but his eyes did widen at the discovery. His face fell slightly and the tension in his arms as he readied the bow slackened. Memories flashed through his mind in those few seconds. A haunting voice from behind a cage. A green portal. Baelfire pleading with him. Cora on her knees before him, crying as though the world had ended….

His arms tightened on the bow again and, finally, he let the arrow fly.

"NO!" Belle cried.

The arrow shot through the air, zipping right in between Robin Hood and Marian before embedding itself in the wagon with a loud THUNK! The cloaked driver turned around, confused. Marian gasped in shock.

"Robin!" she cried. "What…?"

"We've been found," Robin Hood said, fearfully. "Come, Marian, hurry!"

At the top of the hill, both Belle and Rumpelstiltskin were frozen where they were, still staring down at the scene in front of them. Belle broke from the trance first and turned her eyes slowly toward her master.

"What happened?" she asked, slowly.

Rumpelstiltskin blinked a few times, but kept his eyes on Robin Hood as he helped Marian onto one of the horses before climbing on himself. "I missed," he grunted.

The Dark One waved his hand yet again and Belle rose out of the ground, free again.

"Get back to the carriage," he said, his eyes still on the three below the hill. Marian and Robin Hood had climbed on one horse together and the driver took the other. They kicked the horses and spurred them into movement and they galloped away, deeper still into the forest. They were gone in seconds.

"Y-you're not going after them?" Belle said, seeing how he was still looking after them.

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head slowly. "Not worth the effort," he mumbled. "Besides, I'm bored with this forest."

For the first time that day, Belle's face broke into a smile. "You…you spared him. You let him live."

"What?" Rumpelstiltskin said, the high-pitch coming back to his voice. "Of course not. I told you I missed, that's all. You saw it for yourself."

"That bow has magic in it," Belle reminded him. "It's never supposed to miss its target."

"Well I guess it just wore…" Rumpelstiltskin began, finally turning his gaze away from the abandoned wagon down below. But as he turned he found that Belle had come up to stand beside him. She was smiling knowingly at him. Had he ever seen her smile before? "…off." He finished, lamely.

Belle's smile suddenly became much more genuine. She'd been right again. The Dark One was not as evil as everyone made him out to be. He'd spared the thief's life, no matter what he claimed. He'd shown someone mercy. A creature so evil would never have done such a thing.

Belle felt her heart swell with so much happiness, she couldn't resist stepping forward and putting her arms around Rumpelstiltskin's neck, embracing him gratefully. He felt very stiff in her arms, every muscle in his body pulled tight, but just as warm and real as any other human being. He didn't hug her back.

After a moment, Belle let go of him. His expression was on of deep confusion and mild indignation at the same time. Regardless, Belle continued to smile as she headed back to the carriage. He stayed where he was, rooted to the spot, until she turned to him.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked, innocently.

Once again, Rumpelstiltskin snapped himself out of his reverie to grab the weapons and follow her back to the carriage.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

It was very late by the time they returned to the Dark Castle. The immense structure looked even more menacing in the dark of night, but Belle didn't feel intimidated anymore. The ride back to the castle had been completely silent between Belle and Rumpelstiltskin, neither one of them talking about the days events. Rumpelstiltskin simply sat across from her, looking so lost in thought Belle though he might have forgotten about her. Belle couldn't bring herself to rouse him. The day had gone quite in her favor and so she was content. It mattered not what happened anymore. She'd been right about Robin Hood and she was right about Rumpelstiltskin. There was still humanity in him, a spark of goodness that had prevented him committing a terrible deed and, for that, she was grateful enough to sit quietly until they reached the castle.

They entered the castle when the large doors opened for her. The halls were pitch black, but the torches along the walls ignited with just a wave of Rumpelstiltskin's hand.

"I suppose Cora isn't back yet," Belle mused aloud. If she was home, surely the lady of the house would have lit the torches herself.

Rumpelstiltskin merely grunted in regards to her statement and led Belle back to the Main Hall. He was still carrying Robin Hood's bow.

"I guess you won't be needing that bow anymore," Belle said, conversationally.

Rumpelstiltskin took off the quiver and placed the bow on the table. "You never know," he said, his voice oddly deeper than normal. "It might come in handy one day."

Belle wanted to say more to him. She wanted to thank him for sparing Robin Hood, but she figured that she probably shouldn't. It had been a long, confusing day and he looked oddly tired. So Belle merely smiled and gave him a slight bow.

"Well, if you won't be needing anything else, goodnight Rumpelstiltskin," she said, politely. Then she turned to head for her cell.

"Belle," he called, suddenly.

She turned to look at him. They simply stood there, looking at each other, for a long time. Rumpelstiltskin seemed like he wanted to say something, but he kept stopping himself. The silence was only broken, by the sudden opening of the front doors behind them.

"Yoo hoo! Rumple, darling! Are you home?" Cora had returned. Rumpelstiltskin then turned his back on Belle and faced the entryway from which Cora would surely come. Then, finally, he spoke.

"Not one word to my wife."

He didn't sound angry or threatening as he spoke. Instead, he sounded more…cautious. Belle wanted to ask why, but thought better of it. Instead, she simply replied, "Alright," and headed back to the dungeons.


	7. Growing Fondness

**Ying-Fa: Sorry this took so long. I had it started going one way, didn't like it, so I scrapped it and started all over again. Isn't that the worst? Well, in any case, here's the next installment.**

Belle had kept the events of Sherwood Forest a secret from Cora, as per Rumpelstiltskin's orders. It was an easy ruse to pull, honestly. All she had to do was return back to being the dutiful, diligent worker she had been before the incident with Robin Hood and go along with Rumpelstiltskin whenever Cora asked him for details. Rumpelstiltskin had spun his wife a tale of a gory demise, one so unpleasant it was easy for Belle to react in a disgusted way, which helped to convince Cora that the story was legitimate.

Life returned to how it was before the break in for Belle. Her days were the same again, waking up to serve tea and meals to Rumpelstiltskin and Cora, working on chores all day and going to bed exhausted. There was, however, a distinct difference between how things were before the break in and after. Rumpelstiltskin had much more to say in regards to Belle's duties and he would find ways to convince Cora to go easy on her or give her things without it seeming like he was trying to be nice to Belle.

For example, Belle had been serving afternoon tea a few days after the incident in the woods. Cora had been cheerfully complaining about Belle to her husband, as usual.

"…fluttering about like she's trying to dance to impress suitors," she was saying. "You'd think this was a ball to her."

"Doesn't help that you've got her working in that ratty gown all the time, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin said, nonchalantly. "Perhaps if you gave her something a bit more practical she'd be done sooner."

Belle did her best not to gape at him. She'd just been wishing about how she needed something new to wear. The golden gown she'd arrived in was in a terrible state. It was ripped, stained, frayed, impossibly rumpled and unforgivably dirty.

"But it wouldn't be as funny," pouted Cora. "A noblewoman scrubbing our floors in all her finer…the sight never fails to cheer me up."

"I doubt she'd be any less a noblewoman in your eyes no matter what she's wearing," said Rumpelstiltskin, with a slight shrug. "Besides, what's more important: That she keeps working or that she's a laughingstock in a miserable gown? You could always demote her from maid to jester, if it's that important to you."

Cora tapped her chin thoughtfully and gave Belle one of her head-to-toe looks. "Hmm, no. A practical dress won't make her suffering any less funny, I suppose."

Rumpelstiltskin nodded, and then snapped his fingers. Belle's heart nearly jumped out of her chest in fright when she was engulfed in thick, colored smoke. Once it cleared, she found her ruined gown was gone. Instead, she was wearing a comfortable blue dress and a white blouse. It barely had many sleeves and the material was light and breezy. He had even replaced her pinching, heeled shoes (which Cora had refused to let her removed, not wanting her wandering around the castle in filthy bare feet) with soft, flat ones.

"Th-thank you," Belle murmured, astonished by this act of kindness.

"You can thank us by cleaning this all up," said Cora, gesturing at the tea set. "And while you're at it, I have at least three gowns for you to launder this afternoon."

The work didn't bother Belle at all that day. Her new dress was another testament to the Dark One being, not only human, but kind. There were others, a slight decrease in the amount of work she was given, a little extra time to sleep and recover, the occasional healing salve for her calloused hands and things like that. Belle wasn't entirely sure why Rumpelstiltskin had decided to take it easy on her, but she was grateful for it.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

One day, Belle awoke to the usual sound of the door of her cell opening. She got up and made tea, as usual, and found Cora sitting alone in the main hall. Belle noticed that her mistress looked a little more displeased than usual. Her red lips were set in a deep frown and her eyes were lowered to the ground. When Belle handed her the teapot, Cora did not even look at her.

"Shall I…um…wait for your husband to come down before I start breakfast," Belle asked, cautiously.

Cora merely sipped her tea through pursed lips, seeming to have ignored Belle entirely. Belle, having learned by now that curiosity usually led to more work, kept silent. After a few moments, Cora finally spoke, but stared firmly at the wall as she did so.

"My husband will not be joining me for breakfast today," she said, in a hollow yet dangerous voice. "Nor will he be coming down for lunch, or dinner, or any other event today."

"Oh," said Belle simply. A few more seconds of silence passed while Cora drank her tea. Finally, Belle couldn't stop herself from asking, "Has he gone somewhere?"

"No," Cora replied, in the manner of someone doing their utmost to remain calm. "He's up in the tower."

Belle frowned. "Is he ill?"

"No," said Cora, more coldly still.

Belle could feel she was pushing her limits with her mistress and so asked nothing else. Cora finished her tea and took a bite from the crumpets that Belle had brought up with the tea. Cora pulled a face.

"Disgusting," she grumbled. "All this time here and you still haven't managed to learn how to bake a decent crumpet. Pathetic."

"I'm doing my best," Belle said, in her defense.

"Try harder," Cora snapped, tossing the crumpet back down on the table in disgust.

Belle swallowed a lot of things she would have liked to say to Cora and instead replied, "Yes, my lady."

Cora sat there in silence for a few moments longer before finally getting to her feet, angrily. "I'm leaving," she said, harshly. "You're to go down to the kitchens and learn to make something decent. You're to stay down there, you understand, and don't you dare bother my husband while I'm gone. I'll be back tonight."

Cora conjured a cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, marching toward the door. Belle watched her leave, confused. "Is…is everything alright, my lady?" she asked, adding the title in the hopes that it would earn her enough favors to get Cora to respond.

"Never you mind," Cora snapped back at her. "It's just…not a good day, is all."

"Did something happen?" Belle asked, puzzled. The day had only just started. What could possibly be wrong?

"Today is _never_ a good day," said Cora, coldly. "You'd best remember that, seeing as you'll be here for the rest of your life…if your life lasts that long, anyway," she added in a dark murmur. She then turned her back on Belle and slammed the doors behind her.

Belle did as she was told and spent her day in the kitchens, reading recipes that looked as though she could manage them on her own. She was actually glad for the work. Recipes were nothing compared to the grand novels she was used to reading, but they were reading material nonetheless. She also found she rather liked cooking and baking bread. She still wasn't very good at it (as Cora was so sweet to remind her every single day) but it was oddly relaxing and satisfying. To make something with her own hands made her feel like she was really doing something right, even if Cora and Rumpelstiltskin usually used magic on it to make it look and taste how it was supposed to. Despite the lack of compliments about her food, Belle felt that with every meal she made, a little less magic went into making it edible.

Belle took her sweet time that evening kneading bread dough and letting her thoughts wander. Cora's words that morning, though they had meant to intimidate and scare her, only piqued her interest. She wondered whatever could be wrong about today. Cora was right. Belle was here for the rest of her life. If that was the case, then shouldn't she know what was wrong with this particular day so that she'd be prepared for it? Belle couldn't imagine asking Cora more questions but perhaps…

Belle stopped her work and thought carefully. Cora had said not to disturb Rumpelstiltskin today, but the day was almost over. He hadn't summoned her at all. He hadn't come down to eat anything, as Cora had said he wouldn't. Perhaps she'd go up to the tower and check on him? If she did, she'd need some kind of excuse. She could go up and see if she could get any answers out of him.

Her mind made up, Belle went to the stables and filled a basket with fresh straw. She was sure that, whatever he'd been up to in the tower all day, he'd taken some time to spin straw into gold. Belle had seen him do it every day since she got here and bringing him straw was part of her duties. There was no harm in that, surely. Belle took the fully loaded basket and proceeded up to the tower, one of the few rooms she'd had yet to enter since her arrival.

She climbed up the stone steps to the top of the tower, feeling more and more anxious the further up she went. Belle had only just earned some slight kindness from Rumpelstiltskin. Was she pushing her luck? She pushed the thought out of her mind. _Do the brave thing and bravery will follow._

The stairs lead up into a circular room at the top of the tower. The walls were lined with shelves that were covered in glittering glass vials and bottles filled with the most curious things. There was a table laden with strange tools and jars, a glass cabinet and, in the far corner, another spinning wheel. Rumpelstiltskin was standing alone in the center of the room; a lit candle was sitting in a bowl in front of him. He'd been staring at it silently, but he looked up sharply when he heard Belle enter the room.

"Um," Belle said, her brilliantly thought up excuse to be intruding on him suddenly dying in her throat as she saw him. She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry to bother you…but…um…"

"Go away," he murmured; his voice was deep and dangerous.

Belle nodded weakly. "Right," she said, dumbly. "I'll just…um…put this over there." She took the basket of straw and started to make her way over to the spinning wheel.

"Go away," Rumpelstiltskin repeated, more harshly. He quickly snuffed out the candle and tucked it out of sight under the table. Belle watched him do it and saw that a roughly sewn woolen shawl was lying on the table as well. Suddenly, everything clicked. The candle, the moods of her master and mistress, the significance of the day…it all came together.

Belle approached Rumpelstiltskin, cautiously. "I'm…I'm so sorry," she said, honestly. "It was a remembrance, wasn't it?"

Rumpelstiltskin didn't respond to her at all, but his hands gave him away. They laid themselves protectively over the shawl. It had to belong to someone very cherished. The shawl was colorless and simple (a peasant's garment) and far too small to belong to any adult. It had to have belonged to a child.

Belle couldn't help herself. "How old would he be?" she asked, solemnly.

"He's not dead," Rumpelstiltskin replied, a little too quickly. "He's just…he…never mind."

"What do you mean?" Belle asked, unable to stem her curiosity.

Rumpelstiltskin didn't say anything more. He kept his eyes on the old garment, gazing sadly at it while his fingers moved gently through the material. "Today's his birthday," he mumbled, quietly. "And I should be with him…celebrating…"

Belle couldn't help but join in with Rumpelstiltskin's sadness. Everything was so much clearer now. Rumpelstiltskin and Cora must have lost a child together, that's why today was always a bad day. Today brought memories of the poor child and put them both in bad moods.

"I'm sorry," Belle said again. "I didn't mean to intrude. I just…I guess I was worried."

Rumpelstiltskin peeled his eyes away from the shawl to raise an eyebrow at Belle. "Worried?" he asked, his voice thick with disbelief.

"Well, yes," Belle admitted. "Cora wasn't herself this morning either. I guess…I just hoped that nothing dreadful had happened."

"How thoughtful of you," Rumpelstiltskin said, dryly. "Well, you don't have to worry about it. There's nothing you can do."

"Isn't there?" Belle prodded carefully.

"No," he answered.

Belle knew he was trying to put a stop to the conversation and make her leave. She probably should but she wanted him to hear what she had to say. Belle cleared her throat. "I also…um…I wanted to thank you."

"For what?" he grumbled.

"Well, ever since we got back from…you know…Sherwood Forest…"

"We agreed never to talk about that, dearie."

"…I couldn't help but notice that…well, you've been a little nicer to me…"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"My new dress…"

"A practical decision, that's all."

"My workload's lighter…"

"You're just getting used to it, I'm sure."

"And you've always stood up for me…"

"I've done nothing of the sort."

"But I have noticed," Belle said, talking more quickly to put an end to him cutting her off. "And I wanted you to know that…I appreciate it, that's all. I'm grateful to you, Rumpelstiltskin."

Rumpelstiltskin looked at her, blinking slowly. He seemed a little confused, like he wasn't used to people being grateful for the things he's done (which he probably wasn't, Belle reminded herself). His hands were still laying protectively over the shawl.

"Don't misunderstand, dearie," he said, softly. "I'm not a kind man."

Belle nodded and gave him a respectful little bow. "I understand," she said. "I just respectfully disagree."

With that, Belle departed the tower room, leaving Rumpelstiltskin to his thoughts.


	8. Dangerous Feelings

There was a great deal of comfort to be found in simply spinning straw into gold. He'd always found spinning therapeutic in that it calmed his nerves and cleared his thoughts. Lately, however, it didn't seem to be doing him much good. Rumpelstiltskin saw the large pile of shimmering gold thread he'd made that day and realized that he didn't remember spinning it at all. His thoughts were scattered and lingering on his wife's maid, which was the last place he wanted his thoughts to be.

Belle was starting to become quite accustomed to the Dark Castle. Her work was getting better and Cora was getting slightly bored with tormenting her and watching her every move. This allowed the girl a little room to breathe and be more herself. However, that could be the problem as well. She was too comfortable in the castle. She felt more free to challenge her masters instead of simply heed them.

Rumpelstiltskin glanced over to where Belle was dusting in the far corner of the room. He did his best to ignore her as he did before, but something kept nagging him. He didn't know why Belle was suddenly the source of such interest to him. Probably, he guessed, it was how she didn't seem to be as intimidated by him as everyone else seemed to be. He still couldn't believe that she'd hugged him back in Sherwood Forest. People didn't usually want to be anywhere near him, let alone touch him. Only Cora had ever touched him without fear until Belle came along. Nor could he believe the things she'd said to him on Baelfire's birthday a short while ago. Why should she care if he was upset? What did how he was feeling matter to her at all? Belle was abnormally kind, even though he'd done nothing to earn her kindness. When he'd first brought her here, he'd just assumed she was just another noble girl. Spoiled, selfish, bratty, and stuck up just like the rest of the young women born into nobility. Cora had believed that too. Cora had wanted Belle here just to see how long it would take for her spoiled natured got her killed. But Belle had survived, for two months now, and she showed no signs of revealing her true colors as a wretched noble brat.

Belle's voice suddenly shook Rumpelstiltskin out of his musings. "Why do you spin so much?"

Rumpelstiltskin stopped spinning abruptly. He turned around to look at her. Sometime during his all-consuming thinking, she'd switched tasks and had somehow gotten a ladder into the main hall. It was leaning up against the wall next to the thick curtains over the windows. She was staring down at him; her pale blue eyes were staring curiously down at him. She'd looked at him the same way when she'd interrupted him in his tower room when he was mourning Bae.

"Sorry," she said, taking his silent assessment of the scene before him as an excuse not to answer her. "It's just…you spin everyday…you've spun straw into more gold than anyone could ever spend. I just wondered…why do you do it?"

Rumpelstiltskin grinned and turned back to his spinning wheel. "I like to watch the wheel," he replied, calmly. "It helps me forget."

Belle raised an eyebrow at him. "What's there to forget?"

Rumpelstiltskin tapped his chin, thoughtfully. Then he smiled and not-answered, "I guess it worked!"

Belle laughed a little and then turned her attention to the curtains. Rumpelstiltskin kept looking in her direction, puzzled. That was the first time he'd heard her laugh. It was a strange sound, light and tinkering, like a bell. How fitting….

He then noticed that Belle was tugging at the curtains determinedly. Confused, he went over towards the window. "What _are_ you doing?" he asked.

"Opening these," Belle said. "It's almost spring. We should let some light in."

"I…don't know about that, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin said, uncertainly.

"Oh, come on," said Belle, lightly. "The room could use it and it would help to do my chores if I can actually see what I'm doing."

Rumpelstiltskin couldn't really come up with a response to that one. Belle tugged harder at the curtains, but they refused to budge. "What did you do?" Belle asked, incredulously. "Nail them down?"

"Yes," Rumpelstiltskin replied, simply.

Belle smiled and rolled her eyes, but continued to tug fruitlessly at the curtains. Suddenly, a loud ripping noise rent the silent air. There was a clatter, a slight cry, and a blinding flash of light in his eyes…

The next thing Rumpelstiltskin knew, he was looking at the mountain view outside the window. The brilliant, midday light hurt as it reflected off what was left of the snow. He looked up and saw the curtains were ripped clean of the rack. Then he looked down and he seemed to stop breathing.

Belle had fallen off the ladder when she'd pulled too hard on the curtains. She'd fallen…but he'd caught her before she hit the floor.

And he was _holding_ her.

They both stood there for a long moment, too bewildered at what was happening to think or speak. Belle came to her senses first, blinking furiously to clear her mind. "Th-thank you," she said, uncertainly.

Rumpelstiltskin looked into Belle's eyes again. They were much prettier in the sunlight. And here she was, laying in his arms like a bride…bride…uh oh!

As quickly as he could without outright dropping her, Rumpelstiltskin finally set her down. He backed away from her and they stood there awkwardly adjusting their clothing before, finally, Belle said, "Thank you," again.

Rumpelstiltskin raised his hands in an uncaring gesture. "It's no matter," he said, gruffly. He didn't know how he felt. His chest felt oddly tight. His brain was addled. What was wrong with him? Why was he so flummoxed around her? And _why_ was she so pretty in the daylight?!

Then thankfully, mercifully, the door to the main hall opened and Cora entered the room.

"Where is that servant girl of mine?" she said to the room at large. "I need her to…what's all this?" she asked, eyeing the scene before her. Her husband and her servant were standing an awkward foot away from each other and the curtains from the window were on the floor.

"Oh, I um…" Belle said, her face going pink. "I was just…um…I was trying to…"

"Open the curtains," Rumpelstiltskin finished for her. "I asked her to. They tore when she tried to get them open."

"I see," said Cora, raising an eyebrow at her husband. "I didn't think you liked the curtains open, Rumple."

"Not really, no," he said, loftily. "But it's easier to spin when I can actually see what I'm doing."

"I see," Cora replied. "Well, in that case…"

Cora snapped her fingers and all the curtains fell from the windows and landed in a dusty heap on the floor, which made both Rumpelstiltskin wince at the sudden outburst of light and Belle jump in alarm. Cora smiled.

"Is that better, my darling?" she asked, sweetly.

"Yes," Rumpelstiltskin replied, breathing deeply. "Yes, I…I'll get used to it."

"Good," said Cora, coming over and stroking her husband's cheek fondly. Then she turned to Belle. "Those curtains look dusty, Belle. Why don't you take them outside and beat them for us?"

"Of-of course," said Belle, ducking quickly to pick up the heavy curtains and heaving them out of the room. Rumpelstiltskin watched her go, his thoughts a confused jumble.

"Is everything alright, my love?" Cora asked.

"What? Oh, yes," Rumpelstiltskin said, trying to sound reassuring. "I, um, I'm fine. What have you been up to, my dear?" he added, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, the usual," said Cora, smiling. "Just been raiding the Northern Forests for our runaway princess."

"Snow White?" Rumpelstiltskin said, raising an eyebrow at her. "You mean they still haven't found her?"

"The one that I have on the job is…tricky to deal with," said Cora, evasively. "He gets the job done but in the most inconvenient ways."

"Why not kill him and find a new one?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, smoothly.

"Oh, there's no need to go that far," said Cora, innocently. "He still has his uses, even if he is a tricky blighter." _And he still owes me one more wish_, she thought.

"You killed the Huntsman," Rumpelstiltskin reminded her.

"Yes, but he had her right there in his sight and let her go," said Cora. "I had to do it. He failed me."

"Not giving up on this anytime soon, are you dearie?" he said, managing a smile and putting his arm around his wife's waist.

Cora grinned. "Of course not. I vowed I would not only destroy Queen Eva, but her entire family, her kingdom, her legacy, everything. And we both know that once I set my mind to things, there's little that can stand in my way."

Rumpelstiltskin grinned and kissed Cora's temple, fondly. "Yet another thing we have in common," he said. He hoped that Cora didn't still feel like he was out of sorts, which he still was. The light in the room was a bit much but as he'd made it his idea to open them, he couldn't argue. He tried to focus on his wife, tried to get back on solid ground after all the confusion that he'd been facing just minutes before.

"Are you sure you're alright, Rumple?" said Cora, her brow furrowing in concern. "You're not quite yourself today."

"No, no, no, I'm fine," he insisted, a little too quickly. "I, uh, I think I'll go upstairs for a bit. I'm bored with spinning."

"Of course, my darling," said Cora, giving her husband's cheek a quick kiss.

Rumpelstiltskin bowed himself out of the room with a forced grin and a flurry of his hands. Cora smiled as she watched him go, but the moment he was out of sight, her face fell. She walked over to the bright windows and gazed out of them. She could see Belle working down in the garden, beating the dust out of the curtains like she was told to do. Cora's eyes narrowed.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Rumpelstiltskin hurried into his tower room and closed the door behind him. Once he was alone, he let out a furious groan and put his face in his hands. What on earth was the matter with him? Why was Belle affecting him so? He was a married man! He had a wife who loved him, who had always been there for him. He was lucky to have Cora, truly he was. There was nobody else in the world who would understand him. Nobody else who would stay with him. Nobody who would love him like she did.

These feelings were foreign and dangerous to him. He'd never been tempted to stray from his wife. Never. Not even when he was married to Milah, even though she hadn't been nearly as loyal to him as he was to her. Cora was different from Milah, though. There was nothing that he could do that would turn her against him. She loved him. She'd promised to love him forever. How could he feel something so strange for someone else?

Rumpelstiltskin collapsed in a chair, disgusted with himself. He loved his wife with all his heart and yet that same heart would beat uncontrollably for another woman. No. It wouldn't do. He'd just have to keep his distance from Belle from now on.. It didn't matter whatever he felt for Belle anyway was because she was still one of _them. _She was an outsider in his life with Cora. She was a creature of light where he and his wife dwelt in the darkness. Belle would never understand him. Belle wouldn't feel anything other than pity for him. Indeed, if she knew what she was making him feel, she'd probably be sickened and horrified.

It wasn't his business to feel anything for her. His heart belonged to his wife and it had from the moment they'd met. It didn't matter how kind, thoughtful, sweet, or pretty Belle was…..

_"But be warned…should your heart be led astray…any hope you have of seeing him again…will be lost…."_

The Seer's dying warning popped into his mind, cooling his nerves. That must be it. Belle was a test of his resolve. The test the Seer must have been warning him about. Rumpelstiltskin took a calming breath and regained his composure. He could win this. He wouldn't let Belle get to him anymore. He wouldn't risk his chances of getting his family back together.

He wouldn't let Baelfire down again.

**Ying-Fa: Okay, _maybe _I might have tweaked the Seer's prophecy just a little...(glances away mysteriously). Special shout out to PresidentTheAwesome for reviewing every chapter so far in a single sitting. You're awesome!**


	9. Dark Love

Belle couldn't help but notice that Rumpelstiltskin seemed keener than ever to avoid her. In fact, he seemed reluctant to even be in the same room with her. Whenever she entered a room where he happened to be working or spinning, he would immediately leave without a word to her. If he couldn't escape, such as when she brought him and his wife their daily meals, he would focus his attention completely on his wife and barely even look at her. It wasn't the thoughtless ignorance he'd portrayed when she'd first arrived at the castle. He was clearly making an effort to stay away from her and it was obvious to her.

It shouldn't have mattered to her, Belle knew. Rumpelstiltskin was her master, her employer, and the Dark One at that. Still, he was one of only three residents in the castle and of the two that wasn't Belle, he was the one who made her the most comfortable. As odd as it was to admit it, Rumpelstiltskin was the closest thing that Belle had to a friend anymore and to see him go out of his way to avoid her stung. Every now and then Belle could almost swear she felt his eyes on her back but every time she turned to meet them, he glanced away. Though she shouldn't have cared at all, Belle couldn't help but feel a little hurt.

_He's probably just embarrassed about that incident with the curtains_, Belle wondered one evening as she heaved a heavy basket of firewood to Cora and Rumpelstiltskin's bedroom to keep the fireplace going. _He had seemed shocked at the time. Not to mention the fact that his wife came into the room only a few seconds later. Cora might have been really upset if she'd seen him…._

Belle's thought trailed away and a little blush crawled up her cheeks. She'd been just as surprised as he had when he'd caught her from falling the other day. One second she'd been horrified as she felt the curtain give way and her feet leave the ladder, and then she found herself in Rumpelstiltskin's arms. His arms had been slim, but strong as they held her up, his grip tight and reassuring….

Belle had to resist the urge to smack herself in the head in an attempt to clear those thoughts out of her mind. He was the Dark One. He was her employer. _He was married!_ How on earth could she think about another woman's husband that way!? It was improper in every form of the word! It had been nothing more than a simple accident and he'd reacted impulsively to help her, nothing more or less.

Sighing heavily, Belle turned to look out the window at the night sky. It was well past sunset and she was more tired than usual. Cora always kept her busy (today she'd tackled the daunting task of washing the floor-to-ceiling windows in the east corridor) but with her head buzzing with thoughts the work was more exhausting than usual. Perhaps it really was for the best that Rumpelstiltskin was avoiding her. If he knew she was thinking about him like this he'd be appalled.

At that moment, Cora came into the room. Her hair was down and she was dressed in a red satin robe over a light and flowing white nightgown. Belle hurriedly went back to stoking the fireplace and arranging the remaining logs on a rack nearby.

"Oh good, you're finishing up," said Cora, noticing Belle. "What do you think?"

Belle blinked, a little confused by that last remark. "Um…I'm sorry?"

"My gown, dear," said Cora again, raising her arms and posing to show off the beautiful nightgown.

"Oh," said Belle. "It's, ah, it's very beautiful."

"I thought so too," said Cora. "I bought it today thinking I might surprise Rumple with it. He won't be home until late tonight, by the way. He's helping some girl get to a ball."

"Oh, I see," said Belle, uncertainly. This was the first time Cora was actually conversing with her of her own will. Belle had tried to get her to answer questions before, but never before now had Cora actually tried to have a conversation with her. It had taken her rather off guard. "Um, is there anything else you need, m'lady?" Belle asked, trying to get back on ground she was familiar with.

"Yes, actually," said Cora sitting down on a pouf in front of an intricately detailed vanity with an enormous oval-shaped mirror. "Plait my hair for me, would you? I want to look pretty for Rumple when he comes home."

"Ah…of course," said Belle. Cora had never asked her to help her with her hair before. However, it was a task that didn't involve lifting heavy things or getting dirty or scrubbing on her hands and knees so she decided to accept the task without complaint.

Belle walked over to the vanity and Cora handed her a silver and coral comb which Belle then used to run through Cora's long auburn hair. A few minutes passed in an almost comfortable quiet while the fire crackled and Belle brushed absentmindedly. Then, Cora took a slow breath and spoke.

"Belle, I…I owe you an apology."

Belle's attention snapped back with a jolt. "A wh…excuse me?"

"Well," said Cora heavily. "I haven't been that nice to you, I know that. I just…I get so caught up in who I am and…who I'm supposed to be. Being the Dark One's wife…you're expected to be a certain way. I got so caught up in it all…and all the while you've been nothing but obedient. I admit that I judged you when you first got here. Given your station in life I…I assumed that you were something that, by now, I realize that you're not. I prejudged you, Belle. It was wrong of me to do so and…and I'm sorry."

Belle only just realized that her mouth had slowly dropped open while Cora had been talking and quickly shut it. She was flabbergasted. Cora was apologizing to her? It seemed so out of character of her to do such a thing. She glanced in the mirror at her mistress's face and saw that her eyes were downcast and her mouth set in a little frown. She did look genuinely remorseful. Belle shook her head slightly and managed a little smile.

"That's alright," she said, kindly. "I guess this whole situation is new for the both of us."

"Yes," Cora agreed. "I daresay it is."

Belle waited a few seconds to see if she'd say anything else. When she didn't Belle resumed her brushing of Cora's hair, but as she did, Cora started again.

"I never had servants before I'd met my husband," she said, seeming to speak more to her own reflection in the mirror than Belle. "Our beginnings were humble ones, my Rumple and I. He used to be nothing more than a wool spinner, if you can imagine. And I was the daughter of a miller. My father was a lazy drunk and so I was stuck doing all the work all the time. My mother left when I was still a small child. I have almost no memory of her anymore."

Belle's heart sank. "My mother died when I was born," she admitted to her mistress. "I have no memories of my mother either."

Cora smiled and nodded sympathetically. "Then, one day, I ran afoul of a couple of royals. The King, to be precise, as well as his son and the princess of a neighboring kingdom. I was simply doing my work and then the princess thought she'd have some fun at my expense. She made a fool out of me in front of the others. The King blamed me for everything. I did nothing wrong…but he made me apologize…to that _child_ in a crown.

"I remember thinking…what made them so much better than me anyway? Everybody is born the same. The only thing that sets us apart from them is where we're born. She was born in a castle and I was born in a collapsing cabin barely held together by a dilapidated mill. But I was the one who knew what it was like to work. I was the one who had seen all the ugliness of the world, who knew what it was like to do an honest day's work. That little brat knew nothing and yet she's the one who got to wear the crown.

"The king was holding a ball later that day. An auction, more like, for wealthy women to come by and purchase the only unmarried child he had left…Prince Henry. That's another thing I just cannot stand about nobles. They think they are so much better than everyone else and yet they do things like sell their own flesh and blood to the highest bidder. They trade in their own sons and daughters in exchange for peace or gold or whatever they could get their hands on. You had a fiancé of your own, correct?"

Belle swallowed. "Um, yes," she admitted. "His name was Gaston. He, um, he was one of my father's knights."

"And how did you like him?" Cora asked.

"Um," Belle thought hard, not wanting to lie to Cora but not really wanting to tell the truth either. Cora saw Belle's expression in the mirror and grinned.

"Let me guess. You cared for him about as far as you could throw him, right?" she asked knowingly.

"Well…I…um…he was…he just…well…yes," Belle finally admitted, heavily.

Cora nodded wisely. "That's what I thought. I thought that if I snuck into the Prince's ball and managed to catch his attention, I could win his heart and get back at those noble fools who had sneered at me. But the King recognized me. He tried to throw me out and I…well, I admit I got a little carried away."

"What did you do?" Belle asked, entranced by the story.

"I told him that I could spin straw into gold," Cora told her. She laughed softly. "To this day I'm not ever sure what made me say it. I guess I just wanted to say something to make the King realize that he was throwing away something that could save him. But, he called my bluff. He had me locked in a tower full of straw and told me that if I didn't spin it all into gold, he'd kill me."

Belle gave a small gasp. Cora smiled at her reaction. "Yes, I thought I'd just sealed my own death. But that's when…he came to me."

Cora's eyes closed slowly and her smile widened at the memory. "Rumpelstiltskin appeared to me. He said he could help me. He knew how to spin straw into gold and offered to help me. I asked him to teach me how to do it. That was the first time I'd ever used magic. Rumpelstiltskin taught me how to harness my emotions and turn them into power. I remember how exciting it was, feeling the power flow through me, turning my desires into reality…."

Cora remembered how her heart had leapt as she'd seen the straw turn to gold in her hands. She could still feel Rumpelstiltskin's hands on her, making her skin erupt in gooseflesh. She remembered his warm breath on the nape of her neck, his voice whispering in her ear…

_Don't stop until they are on their knees._

Cora sighed lazily. "I fell in love with him that very night. He saved me. He gave me power. The King was stunned when he saw all the gold that I'd spun for him. He was so impressed that he had me engaged to Prince Henry. I accepted but my heart was never with him. I knew even then that my heart belonged to Rumpelstiltskin and him alone.

"As I prepared for my upcoming marriage to the prince, I continued to see Rumpelstiltskin. He taught me more magic, gave me more power and I surrendered more and more of my heart to him. We were deeply linked. Nobody could ever understand him the way I understand him. No two souls are more perfect together than me and my darling Rumple. The longer we were together, the more I knew it to be true. But I had a choice to make. If I married Prince Henry, I would have a crown. I would be a princess. I would be everything that I had ever dreamed I would be. But my heart was never in my engagement. If I chose to go with my Rumple, my heart would be complete.

"In the end, the decision wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. A crown is a symbol of great power, yes, but what's more powerful? Magic or nobility? Power or a crown? The king wanted me to forget about my love and take the crown I was being offered. But that was always the one thing I never liked about nobles. The way they sell their children to the highest bidders always filled me with disgust. They had no regard for their hearts or feelings. My heart was with the most powerful being in the world…and I chose him. So I packed my things the night before the wedding and bid farewell to that greedy, foolish King and his bland son and went to join my dearest Rumple…but not before I'd turned all that gold back into straw."

Belle kept forgetting about how she was supposed to be braiding Cora's hair as she heard her tale. She snapped herself back to the present and continued to separate her hair in strands, but when Cora started talking again, Belle couldn't help herself but to cling to Cora's every word.

"King Xavier took my little revenge very personally. He turned to a powerful creature to try and get revenge against me. He took…."

Cora's voice trailed away. Belle's mind was racing. The remembrance that Rumpelstiltskin had been holding…. "What exactly…did he take from you?" Belle couldn't help but ask.

"I promised Rumpelstiltskin something on the day I met him," said Cora, slowly. "It's what brought him to me in the first place. He knew that there was something that only I could give him…something he desires desperately. But Xavier…took it away from me. And now…now I cannot fulfill my end of our deal. No matter what I do or how hard we try…

Cora's voice trailed away and Belle felt she was finally starting to push her limits with her mistress. So she continued to braid Cora's hair, tying the end with a rose red ribbon to match the gown. When she was finished, Cora reached behind her and took hold of Belle's hand and lead her to stand in front of her. Cora examined the hand she was holding very closely.

"Your hands," she said, slowly. "They're not nearly as soft and smooth as they were when you first arrived. They're more coarse, now. Rougher. Stronger."

Belle swallowed. "Well, I've had…um…a couple of months to…to get them like this."

"Yes, I suppose that's true," said Cora, thoughtfully. She then looked up into Belle's face. "We're quite the pair, aren't we, Belle? Our lives are quite alike, aren't they, except in reverse. Both motherless, raised by our fathers…goodness knows, we even look a little alike, don't we? Only I started as the lowly one and rose to become powerful, whereas you were born into nobility and now you're the one who's sweeping my floors and stoking my fire. Fate is the silliest little thing, is it not?"

Belle resisted the urge to pull her hand out of Cora's grip and back away from her. Cora was in a very strange mood tonight and Belle had no idea what had gotten into her. The way she was staring at her, the way she was speaking, it was like she had when Belle had first arrived at the Dark Castle. Cora was examining her as she had before, slowly and carefully, like a wolf stalking a juicy rabbit. Belle was saved trying to bow out of the room by the distant sounds of the castle doors opening.

"My husband is home," Cora said, still staring at Belle. "You may go now."

"Y-yes," said Belle, bowing hastily in her eagerness to get away from Cora. She picked up the basket she'd used to carry the wood and made for the door. Just as she was about to leave, Cora called after her.

"If you meet my husband on the way down to your room, don't speak to him."

Belle blinked at the puzzling request, but felt she ought to obey nevertheless. With one last bow of her head, Belle excused herself and left the room.

Cora's eyes followed Belle as she left. Once the girl was out of sight, she stood up and examined herself in the mirror. She admired her hair and her gown, but she couldn't help but wonder if this was all for naught. She lowered her hand to her flat belly, closed her eyes slowly, and sighed deeply as she thought about the firstborn child she would never have.


	10. Tea for Two

Cora was gone again the next afternoon, leaving Rumpelstiltskin alone in the castle with Belle. He'd sent her to work in the tower, while he sat at the spinning wheel that sat furthest away from her, spinning his thoughts away. He could tell something was wrong with his wife. Cora had been spending more time out of the castle than was usual of her (there was only so much time to be devoted to finding one silly princess, in his opinion). He couldn't help but wonder if she could sense something was going on between him and Belle.

But there _wasn't_ anything going on between them. Rumpelstiltskin had put all his efforts into ignoring the maid lately, as he had told himself that he must from now on. He no longer talked to her if he could help it and if he walked into a room and found her in it, he'd just walk back out without a word. But, despite his efforts, he wondered if this was only making matters worse. He was now starting to feel guilty about being so cold to Belle, especially when he saw the slightly hurt expression on her face whenever he walked past her or looked through her. Belle had precious little to be happy about in this place and adding to her misery had never been his plan. On top of that, he would still catch himself stealing a glimpse at her when he was sure she wasn't looking. His ears would perk up whenever he heard her humming or thinking out loud in the other room. In short, he was sunk.

_It's no good trying to tell yourself not to look at her or think about her, you'll just do it anyway_, Rumpelstiltskin thought savagely to himself. _It doesn't matter. It _shouldn't_ matter. You've made your choice. You've found the only person in this universe who could possibly love you. Why isn't that enough for you?_

Rumpelstiltskin stopped spinning. His fingers were starting to hurt and his eyes were burning with an unnatural tiredness. It was just a test, he told himself over and over. This was a test of his fidelity that he could overcome. He'd come so far, done so much, there was no way that he could fail now.

_I'll get my family back. My whole family back. I don't care how long it takes._

The sound of heels on hard floor caused Rumpelstiltskin to snap out of his revelry. He'd expected his wife, but it was Belle. She had creeped into the room carrying a tea tray and a curious expression.

"I…um…wondered if you wanted this," she said, quietly. "You don't usually take tea unless Cora is home but, um, I guess I just thought you looked like you could use some."

Rumpelstiltskin blinked as Belle set the tray on the table and stepped back, her hands folded neatly in front of her. He could recognize the gesture of a peace offering when he saw one. He wanted to shoo her out of the room before her presence could muddle his thoughts anymore, but he hesitated. A light clicked on in his mind. Of course, he thought. Ignoring Belle wasn't the way about this at all. Running from her would solve nothing. If he could spend an afternoon in her presence, however, and feel nothing, it would be perfect. Belle couldn't affect him because he couldn't be affected. He was madly in love with his own wife and he'd prove that here and now.

"Now that you mention it, dearie," he said, standing gratefully from the wheel. "A cuppa sounds quite nice."

Belle let out a tiny sigh of relief. "Oh good," she said. "I, um, I didn't want to intrude or…something."

"Not at all," said Rumpelstiltskin, coming over and pouring himself a cup. He noticed that there was a small plate of scones on the tray as well, which both looked and smelled delicious. "Trying to tempt me, are you, dearie?"

"Trying…what?" said Belle, looking startled.

"This all seems a bit…much for just me," he said, waving a hand over the tray.

"Oh, well, um," said Belle, flustered. "I just um…well, this is…my apology."

Rumpelstiltskin blinked, caught by surprise. "Apology?" he repeated. "Whatever for?"

"Well, for the…um…curtain incident," said Belle, awkwardly. "You've been…kind of avoiding me ever since and I…I guess I wanted to make it up to you."

"There was…there was no need, dearie," he said, gruffly. "Truth be told, I'd forgotten all about it. You needn't worry yourself about it anymore."

"Oh…ah…alright," said Belle, her voice suddenly quite small.

She stood by in silence while Rumpelstiltskin enjoyed his tea. Rumpelstiltskin felt he ought to be congratulated. He thought he'd handled that splendidly. Now that any awkward feelings were set well out of the way, they could fall back into nothing more than a master-and-servant relationship. But as he drank his tea, Belle spoke up again.

"I'm glad you're finally talking to me again," she said, shyly.

It took a surprising effort to keep from choking on his tea. Thankfully, he managed to swallow slowly and set his cup back down on the saucer. "I should hardly think that conversing with me would matter much to you," he said, raising his eyebrow at her.

"Well, of course it does," said Belle, earnestly. "You're the closest thing I have to a friend in this place."

"A…a what?" Rumpelstiltskin said, incredulously.

Belle blushed and lowered her pretty blue gaze to the floor. "Well, it's true," she said. "I feel much more comfortable talking to you than I do with Cora. She has gotten…a little nicer lately but…it's not the same, y'know?"

"We're not here to be friends, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin said. "I hardly see what makes us such anyway."

Belle managed a little smile. "You're kind to me," she said, softly. "I've noticed. It's thanks to you that my workload has gotten a bit easier, I get more time to sleep, you even gave me my new dress."

"All practical gestures for practical reasons, nothing more," said Rumpelstiltskin, fighting annoyance. This was just like the time she'd walked in on him on his son's birthday. Her insisting that he was being secretly nice to her, favoring her somehow. That wasn't the case. All the things he'd ever done for her were things any master would do for any servant. That…and the fact that she'd kept her promise about not telling Cora about the Sherwood Forest incident…and her improved attitude and performance around the castle…he wasn't favoring her at all.

Belle seemed to realize that she'd get nowhere with this conversation but she seemed eager to carry on a conversation. "So…I've had, um, a couple of months to look around," she said, lightly. "And, um, while I was upstairs today…I found some…some clothing. Small. As if for a…child?"

Rumpelstiltskin's grip on the teacup tightened. Of course, he thought. She was bound to find out eventually. She was a sharp girl; he'd known that all along. Still, he braced himself for her questions.

"Was it yours…or was it…your child's?" Belle asked, gently.

It was like a weight pressed down on his shoulders at the mention of his child, but he overcame it. "It was," he said, quietly. "It was my son's. I lost him."

Belle nodded sympathetically. "I'd figured there was a child," she said, softly. "I knew something must have happened. I'm so sorry."

Rumpelstiltskin shrugged. He didn't want to say anything more on the matter. The mention of his beloved Bae still made his heart bleed after all this time.

"I can only imagine what you and Cora must have gone through," Belle said, sadly.

The words ran through him like a jolt. "Cora wasn't his mother," Rumpelstiltskin said, a little too quickly.

Belle blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Cora wasn't his mother," Rumpelstiltskin repeated, more calmly. He lowered his gaze back down to his teacup. "This was…before we'd met."

"I see," said Belle, slowly. "And…this child's mother…"

"Dead," he replied, now in real danger of reaching a topic he most certainly didn't want to discuss. "Been dead for years."

"I see," said Belle, taking a moment to process all that she'd heard. "So, you…you had a family before this. Was this before you…had power? Does this mean…you were just…an ordinary man before this?"

Rumpelstiltskin didn't reply. All these questions were starting to get dangerously under his skin. It was amazing how easily she could do that to him. _Get a hold on yourself,_ he thought, angrily.

Belle frowned at Rumpelstiltskin's silence. "Please," she pleaded. "If I'm never going to know anyone outside this castle for the rest of my life…can't I at least know you?"

"It's not your business to know me," Rumpelstiltskin said, gruffly. "Trying to find out all my secrets, are we? Trying to learn all the monster's weaknesses, are we?"

"You're not a monster," Belle said, slightly more stubbornly.

"All evidence to the contrary, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin replied.

Belle simply huffed and poured a cup of tea for herself. "Cora talks to me," she said, sulkily.

"What?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, surprised yet again.

"Mmm-hmm," Belle mumbled as she took a sip of tea. "She told me all about how you met. About how you saved her from a king when he tried to have her humiliated and killed for lying to him. She told me about how she would have become a princess but she chose to marry you instead. She didn't seem to think that I was looking for weaknesses."

"Cora told you all that?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, a little disbelievingly.

"Yep," said Belle. "She told me about it the other night while she was waiting for you to come home."

"I see," said Rumpelstiltskin slowly. Since when was Cora so chatty with Belle? He knew Cora couldn't stand Belle, more so than even Belle realized. What was she trying to accomplish by playing nice and telling her their story? "What else did she tell you?" he asked.

Belle hesitated for a second. "She said that…something was taken from her. Something that…she'd promised to…give to you." Her voice grew quieter as she spoke. She seemed to know that she was treading dangerous water and was toeing the line carefully.

Rumpelstiltskin lowered his gaze back down to the teacup. Why would Cora tell Belle about Xavier's curse? "You should exercise a little more caution when talking to my wife," he muttered.

"Why's that?" Belle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You just should," Rumpelstiltskin replied, unhelpfully. When he could still feel Belle's eyes demanding more of an explanation from him, he added, "She might be trying to…lower your defenses. She's rather good at that."

Belle's brow furrowed in confusion, but she decided to drop the topic entirely. It was the safest route to take and she really didn't want to stop talking to Rumpelstiltskin. It was nice for her, to have someone to chat to. Belle had usually kept to herself and her books at home, but if she ever got bored or lonely, there was always her father or her friends to talk to. Now she only had Rumpelstiltskin and Cora and, of the two of them, the former was much easier to speak to.

All too soon, their teacups were empty and the pot had grown cold. Belle packed the tray up again and turned to her master. "Thank you," she said.

"Whatever for?" he asked.

"Talking to me," Belle said, smiling. "It was nice."

The sight of her smile made Rumpelstiltskin's stomach twist and his ribcage suddenly felt much too small. He didn't trust himself to speak so he merely nodded and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. Belle gave him a delicate curtsy before leaving the hall, her auburn hair revealing flecks of gold he hadn't noticed until they'd taken down the curtains.

He was in real trouble.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Outside the castle grounds, Cora watched as Belle left the main hall after her little excursion with Rumpelstiltskin. One hand held a small, silver spyglass through which she saw everything. The other hand was curled into such a tight fist that her nails dug deep into her palm, cutting into her flesh so that spots of blood leaked through her clenched fingers. Her heart was pounding dangerously in her chest, her mind was buzzing with terrible thoughts…

Cora was so preoccupied that she barely heard the sounds of someone approaching her from behind. Which was quite an accomplishment because whoever it was had been charging through the forest brush with all the subtlety of a rhinoceros. It wasn't until she felt the cool tip of a sword at her throat was Cora forced to acknowledge the buffoon behind her.

"Be still, witch! Or you'll never move again!"

Cora rolled her eyes and lowered her spyglass. She turned and found herself face-to-face with a tall, burly young man.

"I am Sir Gaston," he announced with all the pride of a king. "The beast of that castle has taken…"

Before Gaston could get another word in, Cora snapped her fingers. There was a puff of smoke, and Sir Gaston was gone. Right where he was standing, however, a small snail appeared, oozing sluggishly in the brush.

"I know," said Cora dryly. It was only now that she realized her hand was bleeding and she healed it quickly. "That little noble brat is turning out to be quite the little deceiver, isn't she? You're lucky to be rid of her, honestly. I should have known! All that noble twit knows how to do is…."

Cora's thoughts trailed away. An idea had come into her mind. The thought was brilliant…but repulsive at the same time. Yet it might be just the compromise that she had been looking for. This could been what she'd spent years trying to find. At long last…a price she could pay.

"On second thought," Cora said, more to herself than the snail. "Maybe she can be of use to us after all."

With that, Cora turned around and headed for home, never minding the sickening _crunch_ her boot made as it landed firmly on an unsuspecting snail.

**Ying-Fa: Sorry about the wait, guys. For a "break" I sure have been working a lot. And...yeah, I didn't know what to do with Gaston. Every fic I've read he's either a rapist pig or a GBF, so I just made a slightly nastier redux of his fate on the show. Hope y'all enjoy it! Please review!**


	11. Hot Heads and Cold Hearts

**Ying-Fa: This is where it gets intense, people! Thanks for sticking around this long! I hope you guys enjoy!**

Later that evening, Belle served her master and mistress their supper. After her tea with Rumpelstiltskin, Belle was in a very good mood. She happily returned to the kitchen to put her best efforts into the meal. She'd coated a leg of mutton in spices and let it simmer for hours, boiled potatoes, and found some nice wine to complement the dish. She'd learned by now that mutton was something that Rumpelstiltskin favored so she made sure to read the recipe at least three times before cooking. By the time it was done, it smelled absolutely delicious. Belle half hoped that there would be some left for her to enjoy by the time they were done with it.

Belle's head was full of thoughts about Rumpelstiltskin while she worked. She'd felt very sad for him when he talked about his son, but especially curious when he mentioned that he'd had another wife before Cora. Belle suddenly wondered just how old her master was. Rumors said that he'd lived centuries, but Belle wasn't sure she'd believed them. But how old did that make Cora? Cora only looked slightly older than Belle herself, but could she be centuries old as well? They both probably had magic that made them look young forever. Belle took a moment to wonder what it would be like, looking the same, staying the same, whilst the world around you changed and grew old. He was lucky to have someone he loved by his side all this time…

Belle gave herself a mental shake. She really needed to stop thinking about Rumpelstiltskin. He was another woman's husband! She had no right whatsoever to think about him. Still, the harder she tried, she couldn't help but dwell on those parts of the Dark One that didn't seem so dark. When she looked at him, she didn't see evil incarnate but a façade. She saw sadness and kindness reflected in his eyes whenever things were quiet. She saw a man, not a monster, as he sat at his spinning wheel. A kind, wise, world-weary man how longed for something beyond what he had already. A good man.

_A man who was married!_ Belle scolded herself. _It's none of your business! You're lucky he's become so friendly to you. He loves his wife; you've seen it for yourself._

Perhaps that was it, Belle wondered. Maybe she just wished that she could have a love like Rumpelstiltskin has for Cora. But, now that she was here and her life was one of servitude, she'd never know such love. She doubted that Cora would deign to allow Belle a chance to court while she lived here. No, hers was to be a life lived in the shadows of servitude, an eternal solitude, forever. That was what she'd agreed to when she agreed to come here.

The meal was finally finished and Belle made the trip upstairs with the heavy tray of meat and potatoes. Rumpelstiltskin and Cora were already seated, waiting for her. Though they sat next to each other, as usual, Belle couldn't help but feel there was something of a divide between them. When Belle first arrived at the castle, the two of them were always leaning in close to each other, holding hands and sometimes kissing openly in front of her. Now, however, they weren't even talking to each other. Rumpelstiltskin was leaning back in his chair, his eyes downcast and his fist over his mouth, looking deep in thought. Cora was sitting next to him, rigid as a board and staring hard at the table, her face emotionless but her eyes cold. Belle decided that whatever was between them was just that; between them. So she set down the tray and set the meal out for her master and mistress as she always had.

Rumpelstiltskin seemed to jerk out of his musings as Belle set his plate before him. "Oh. Ah, thank you, Belle."

"You're welcome," Belle replied, modestly. She could feel Cora's cold eyes on her as she spoke and did not dare to meet them.

"It seems Belle has gone through all the trouble of making your favorites tonight, Rumple darling," Cora pointed out, looking around at the dinner in a manner that might have been casual if she had not been so stiff.

"Indeed," Rumpelstiltskin agreed, still seeming to be a little lost in thought. "What brought this on, dearie?"

"Oh, I…I thought you might want this, I guess," said Belle, simply. "I know you like it so I…took the liberty."

"How wonderfully thoughtful of you," said Cora, but the compliment had an icy edge to it.

The couple began to eat. Belle waited patiently by, as she normally did, for further orders. Something was defiantly wrong tonight, Belle thought. The silence between the Dark One and his wife was not the normal, companionable silence that normally existed between them. Cora was still unbelievably rigid and Rumpelstiltskin simply looked lost. Belle normally expected Cora to make some snide remark about her food, like she usually did, but tonight she ate in stony silence. As much as Belle would have loved to have attributed her lack of criticism as an improvement in her culinary skills, she didn't think that was the case. Just when Belle was privately wishing that someone would say something, anything to break this terrible quiet, Cora finally spoke.

"Rumple, darling," she said, setting down her fork with a decidedly loud clatter. "Are you alright?"

"Hm?" Rumpelstiltskin snapped once again out of his torpor. "Wait? What are you talking about?"

"Forgive me," she said. "But you've seemed a bit…out of sorts lately. Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course," Rumpelstiltskin replied, with a meager attempt at his usual light manger. "Nothing's wrong, dearie, I assure you. Put it out of your mind, dearest. You'll give yourself gray hairs."

"Really?" Cora asked slowly, dangerously. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Rumpelstiltskin insisted.

Cora's face once again became a mask of forced calm. She then pushed her plate away from her and folded her hands in front of her on the table. "I think…I've had enough," she said, loudly enough for Belle to understand that was her cue to clear her place. Belle stepped forward and reached for the plate of barely nibbled food.

Suddenly, Cora reached forward and seized Belle's wrist with one hand, reached for the carving knife with the other, and plunged the blade right into the back of Belle's hand. Belle screamed immediately but was in such shock that she didn't feel the pain until she saw her own blood staining the table. Then she screamed again.

"Cora!?"

Rumpelstiltskin stood from his chair so fast that it fell to the floor with a loud _bang. _He was at Belle's side immediately, reaching forward and prying the hand that was pinning down Belle's wrist. He then wrapped his own hand around and gripped tight in an attempt to stem the flow of blood. He then looked up at his wife in outraged disbelief.

"What the hell are you doing!?" he demanded.

"What?" Cora asked, innocently. "The girl is my slave. I can do whatever I want with her. She belongs to me. You said so yourself."

Rumpelstiltskin stared at his wife, alarmed and utterly confused. Cora then turned her back on her husband and her injured slave and stormed out of the main hall, the silk skirts of her dress rustling furiously after her.

Belle was beside herself, shrieking and crying in pain and terror. Rumpelstiltskin kept his grip on her wrist while the other hand took hold of the knife handle. Cora had thrust the blade down so hard, that it had gone straight through Belle's palm to become embedded in the wooden table below. Rumpelstiltskin gave Belle's wrist the most reassuring squeeze he could before he gripped the knife and yanked it sharply upward. Belle's blood flowed freely now and she screamed again.

"It's alright, Belle," Rumpelstiltskin said quickly, tossing the bloody knife aside. "It's gonna be alright. It'll be fine."

Reaching out, Rumpelstiltskin rested his now free hand over the bleeding wound as gently as he could. His hand suddenly glowed with a soft, purple light and he felt the wound close under his palm. Belle's screams stopped, but she continued to sob. Slowly, he let go of her wrist and Belle yanked it close and held it to her chest, still crying in fear.

"Hush, Belle," Rumpelstiltskin said, as calmly as he could. "It's alright now. It's over."

But Belle couldn't stop. "She…I was…I don't even…what did I do?!" she sobbed.

Rumpelstiltskin was hit with a sudden impulse. He placed his hands on Belle's shoulders and leaned in so that his forehead touched hers. He forced himself to breathe slowly and speak soothingly. It was a technique that had always worked on his son when he'd awakened in the night from bad dreams.

"It's alright now, Belle" he murmured, his voice suddenly much deeper, devoid of its usual high pitch. "It's over. You're alright, now. You're alright."

Belle's sobs slowly abated as she forced herself to calm down. Her heart was still pounding and she was shivering with adrenaline, but she did her best to copy Rumpelstiltskin's breathing, to let his calming words sink in.

Finally, Belle let out a shuddering sigh and she knew her tears were done. It struck her, suddenly, just how very close Rumpelstiltskin was to her. His forehead was still pressed gently to hers; his eyes were closed as he focused on passing his calm onto her. Then his eyes opened and he gently pulled back. Belle found herself staring into his orb-like eyes once again. They were even closer now then they'd been the day she'd taken down the curtains….

Rumpelstiltskin pulled back and stood up, offering Belle a hand. She took it and got shakily to her feet. The table was still covered with Belle's blood. The sight of it made Belle sway dangerously on her feet. Rumpelstiltskin cleared it all away with a wave of his hand.

"How are you feeling?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, cautiously.

"I…I'm not sure," Belle answered, honestly. She looked down at her hand. The only indicator that the incident had ever occurred was the tiniest scar on the back of her hand.

Rumpelstiltskin scowled suddenly. "Go back downstairs," he said. "Don't come back out until I send for you."

"But…"

"It's alright," he said again, but his voice sounded much more agitated now. "Go on, Belle. I need a word with my wife."

Belle nodded reluctantly and started to make her way toward her cell. Rumpelstiltskin pulled his gaze away from her and took off in the direction Cora had taken, his eyes blazing.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Cora was waiting for her husband in their chambers, sitting in front of her vanity mirror. She didn't turn around or even flinch when the door burst open and her husband stormed into the room.

"What the hell was that all about!?" he demanded.

"I told you," Cora replied, calmly. "Belle's my slave. I can do with her whatever I want."

"That's no excuse!" Rumpelstiltskin barked. "You keep asking me what's wrong but I'm starting to think you're the one who's got something wrong with her, _dearie_."

Cora took a deep breath through her nose and stood up fiercely from her desk. "You want to know what's wrong!?" she demanded. "What does it matter to you? I can just confide in Belle and keep my thoughts hidden from the one I swore to love forever! That's what you do, isn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rumpelstiltskin growled through clenched teeth.

"What I'm talking about, _my husband_, is that you seem to be very interested in our little housekeeper," Cora said, harshly.

"You can't be serious," Rumpelstiltskin snapped. "You honestly think Belle and I…"

"I don't know what to think anymore, Rumple!" Cora said, throwing her hands in the air.

Rumpelstiltskin once again forced himself to calm down. "Cora," he said, slowly. "You know me. You know I wouldn't stray from you. Ever."

"I do know that," Cora snapped back. "But I don't think you can help yourself. How could you help yourself, really!? When a young, pretty, _fertile_ girl appears in our life like this?"

"Cora!" Rumpelstiltskin said, aghast. "That has nothing to do with…"

"It has everything to do with us!" Cora interrupted. "That was the very reason you came to me! It's the whole reason we met! Your prophecy says that it will be my child that casts the curse to reunite you with your son. If not for that, I would have rotted in Xavier's dungeon all those years ago."

"And that same prophecy says that only when I find true love will the path to finding my son again be revealed," Rumpelstiltskin reminded her. "I _found_ that love already, Cora. It's you. It's always been you!" He stepped forward and gently took Cora's face in his hands. "I love you. You _know_ that."

"Yes," Cora admitted, her eyes downcast. "But the Seer didn't plan on Xavier's wrath, now did she? She didn't see him going to the Blue Fairy, did she!? She didn't foresee the curse that would ruin all of our plans! She didn't know that I would never, NEVER have a child thanks to that scheming little lightning but and that wretched king!"

"We'll find a way around it," Rumpelstiltskin insisted. "All curses can be broken! I've told you a hundred times…"

"And I've told _you_ a hundred times _nothing…has…worked!_" Cora cried. "Nothing! We've tried everything! Not pixie dust, nor fairy dust, not even the waters of Lake Nostos! Every spell and counter spell we know of has failed. Don't you understand, Rumple? It's never going to happen!"

"It _will _happen! I _saw_ it happen!"

"You're foresight shows you what will be and what _can_ be! How do you know you didn't see something that _may _have happened but now _cannot_ happen because of this curse?"

"I know what I saw, Cora! I saw your daughter, _our_ daughter, cast the curse! I saw it cover the world, rip everyone into the realm where my son awaits. It can happen. It will happen."

"It's been years!" Cora wailed, pulling away from her husband and hiding her face in her hands. Tears were leaking from her eyes and splashing down her face. "I've done my best to be patient for you, Rumple! I know what Baelfire means to you! You think I enjoy seeing you like this!? You think I enjoy failing my husband, the one I love with all my heart!? You only wished for one thing from me…and I can't give it to you. You're disappointed in me."

"That's not…"

"It IS true! You don't mean to be, but you are! I can see the sorrow in your eyes every day that I'm not with child. I can see your pain and knowing that I…that I can't take it from you…it kills me, Rumple! It just kills me!"

Rumpelstiltskin grabbed Cora and pulled her into his arms. Cora allowed her tears to slide down her face and soak his shirt while he held her tightly. Rumpelstiltskin felt sick with dismay. He wrapped one arm around his wife's waist, holding her tightly to him while the other stroked her back, soothingly.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured, his voice breaking. "I didn't mean…I never meant…"

"I know," Cora mumbled back. "I'm so sorry, my dear Rumple. I…I can't keep my end of our deal. I can't give you a child. I'm sorry."

Rumpelstiltskin kissed her temple and hugged her tighter still. A few moments were spent in this sad embrace, both husband and wife seeking to comfort the other. Finally, Cora sniffed loudly and spoke again.

"But I can give you the next best thing."

Rumpelstiltskin blinked and pulled back slightly, confused. Cora's expression was one of resolution as she wiped the last of her tears from her face.

"I can give you Belle."


	12. Cora's Plan

Rumpelstiltskin stepped back from his wife. "What are you talking about?" he asked, incredulously.

"I mean that just because I can't have a child doesn't mean we can't still have one," Cora said, staring hard into her husband's face. "Belle can have one for us."

"Belle can…wait…no," Rumpelstiltskin shook his head furiously. "Absolutely not! Out of the question!"

"Rumple, think about this!" Cora insisted. "It's our only choice…"

"No it isn't," Rumpelstiltskin argued.

"Belle is my servant," Cora reminded him. "Her fate is mine to decide! If I allowed you to have her and she conceived then maybe that would be enough to satisfy the deal!"

"I'm not hearing this," Rumpelstiltskin refused, turning away from his wife. Cora followed him, continuing.

"This is the loophole that we've been looking for, Rumple! We can still do this. We can have the curse bringer, just like you saw. I can still give her to you just…just not from _my_ body."

"I will not contemplate this!" Rumpelstiltskin barked. "This isn't a part of the deal. Belle has nothing to do with this. It's…it's out of the question!"

"We are out of options," Cora insisted. "If you want your son back, and I know you do, then you're going to have to be willing to make sacrifices! I've learned that by now. Magic comes with a price and the price for finding Baelfire is a steep one. You knew that going into this, Rumple."

"I can't…I won't," Rumpelstiltskin growled, his hands curling in his hair. "I won't do this…Belle would never comply…"

"Belle has no say in this!" Cora snapped. "She surrendered herself to us. She is here so we can make use of her. What better way than this? She could be the solution to our problems if you just…"

"I SAID I WON'T!" Rumpelstiltskin roared. The suggestion was too overwhelming. He didn't even want to contemplate the things Cora was telling him. The thought of perverting Belle…of forcing her…of going against his wife…the idea was simply sickening. Yes, he knew that he would go to the ends of the earth to find his Bae. He knew going into this would mean paying a high price, but he never knew it would take him this far. He never knew that it would lead him to something like this. He wanted nothing more that to put this suggestion aside and never think about it again, but still Cora persisted.

"You think I like this idea any better than you do," Cora snapped. "You think I enjoy that thought of you and…and her like that! I'm only saying this because I can't see any other way. We don't have any other choice."

"There's always a choice," Rumpelstiltskin argued. "There must be other paths."

"But we've _tried_ all the other paths," Cora cried, exasperated. "The thought of this plan makes me sick, truly it does. But if you're ever going to find your son…if you're ever going to be truly happy again…this is the price that I'm willing to pay."

"No," Rumpelstiltskin said, stubbornly. "I won't accept this! I can't stray from you."

"You're not straying; I'm GIVING her to you!" Cora shrieked. "I'm allowing this to happen. Take her! You have my blessing…"

"I don't want her," Rumpelstiltskin snapped.

"Well that's a barefaced lie!" Cora cried.

Rumpelstiltskin froze. He looked into Cora's eyes and saw they were watering again, her face flushed with anger and frustration. "You think I don't know what goes on in my own home," Cora said, dangerously. "You think I don't pay attention to things that take place right under my nose. I can _see_ the way you look at her Rumple. I hear the way you stand up for her. You're merciful to her. _Too_ merciful, if you ask me. Your eyes follow her as she enters the room. I've seen the way she serves you, talks to you, and puts herself in your path on purpose. I'll bet all you'd have to do was ask her and she'd gladly submit to you!"

"Cora," Rumpelstiltskin began quietly. Cora cut him off.

"I don't _care_ about all that, Rumple," she snapped. "As I said, you can't help it! You may be the Dark One, but you're still a man. Belle is fond of you and I _know_ you're fond of her. Instead of make a fuss over this, just let us use it to our advantage. Belle might even feel privileged to do us this great service."

"No," Rumpelstiltskin insisted. "I just…no!"

Cora let out an exasperated breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just promise me you'll consider this," she said. "Promise me you'll think of this as a real possibility. There's no point in denying that this is an option for us. I know you want your son back and I know I can't bear to see you miserable anymore. I'll never hold this against you, I swear." She then reached forward and touched her husband's shoulder. "No matter what you decide, no matter what you do, I'll love you."

Rumpelstiltskin merely gave his wife a tortured look before he turned away from her and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Cora let out a sigh. She knew he'd left to go somewhere private, to consider her proposition. She would simply have to wait for his answer. With a thought, Cora too disappeared from the room into the night.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Outside the door of Rumpelstiltskin and Cora's bedroom, which had been left ajar when Rumpelstiltskin came bursting in, Belle crouched in the shadows. Both her hands were pressed tight over her mouth and tears were pouring down her face. She had heard everything.

She had been unsure about following Rumpelstiltskin to his room after what had happened at dinner. She had been so shaken up, so confused as to Cora's violent behavior that her curiosity had gotten the best of her yet again. Belle had sneaked up the tower and found the door ajar and heard the two of them arguing and had sat to listen. What she'd heard, however, had turned her insides to rot.

So this was Cora's plan with her. Having Belle as a slave wasn't enough, so now she planned something even more sinister. Belle didn't even begin to understand what was going on with Rumpelstiltskin's missing son. All she'd heard was that he was lost and that, somehow, a daughter would be able to bring the family back together. But Cora couldn't conceive. She'd been cursed by the Blue Fairy and the king she'd offended so she could never have a child. Now Belle was here and she planned on giving Belle to her husband to conceive on her behalf. Making Belle a slave hadn't been enough, it seemed. Now she was to serve as Rumpelstiltskin's mistress. A concubine. A whore.

When Belle was certain that both Rumpelstiltskin and Cora were gone, she fled down the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. Promise or no promise, deal or no deal, Belle couldn't stay in this castle another minute.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Cora was back at the ruins of her old home and found the genie lamp. The moment her fingers touched the cold metal, the genie appeared before her.

"Well, that went well," he said.

"You were watching through the mirror?" Cora asked, emotionlessly.

"Yes, and it was quite the show," said the Genie. "Your husband didn't seem to keen on your idea, Mistress."

"Of course not," Cora snapped. "He loves me too much. As heartwarming as his refusal was, it is problematic. He's being too stubborn. But…he'll come around, I'm sure."

"You could always use your third wish," said the Genie, hopefully. "That would restore your ability to give birth yourself."

Cora gave the Genie a sharp look. "And what would the point of that be?" she asked. "When my second wish was to ensure that I would never have children in the first place."

"Plenty of people use the third wish to undo the first two," the Genie prompted gently.

"But I don't want to undo the first two," said Cora. "The first was to ensure that you would follow my every command and aid me in my search for vengeance against Queen Eva's legacy. The second was to make sure that I would never, no matter what magic my husband evoked, have children. I like my wishes just as they are, thank you very much."

"But your husband is miserable," the Genie pointed out. "He still longs for a child you refuse to give him because he thinks it will reunite him with his lost son."

Cora stared hard at the Genie. "_So?_"

The Genie blinked. Cora grinned.

"Y'know, when I first married Rumpelstiltskin, I was sure I'd made the right choice," said Cora. "Why be a princess and have power in only one kingdom when the Dark One has the power to control a hundred kingdoms. Already the entire realm is filled with fear at the thought of him. Together, I thought, we could rule the entire land. His power and mine was enough to concur the world, even several worlds! I couldn't have been happier to be with him.

"Then, I discover that my husband had no desire whatsoever for ruling nations. No. He had devoted all his time, all his effort, all his power into finding some lost little boy in a land without magic. You can only imagine how…irksome it is to be placed second in the heart of the person you love most. What's worse is I'm second to the son of a pirate's whore. A whore who betrayed the man I love. A whore who lives on in that simpering brat who tried to destroy the Dark One forever by whisking him away from his powers. I find that very difficult to live with, very difficult indeed."

The Genie merely listened to his mistress, his eyebrow raised and his expression neutral. Cora went on with her speech.

"I couldn't just persuade Rumpelstiltskin to give up on Baelfire. It would turn him against me. I wanted him to forget the boy, but I couldn't see how without him pulling away from me. I love him, Genie. Truly I do. I love him so much and all I want is to be the only one in his heart the way he's the only one in mine. So, all I had to do was foil his plans on ever finding his son. He came to me, having seen in a vision that I would have a daughter who would have the power to cast a curse. This curse would pull everyone from this land into the land without magic, where Baelfire hides. So, all I had to do was throw a little wrench in his plans. That's how I came upon you, Genie. That's what prompted me to make my wishes.

"But my plans aren't quite working out how I wanted," Cora admitted. "Yes, he's more focused on me than ever he was, but I can see he's just not forgetting that wretched boy anytime soon. So, I have to give him a tiny bit more hope. I'll let him have that girl and she can bear a child in my name…but it still won't be my child. Only my child can enact the curse but this will give Rumpelstiltskin just enough hope to think he still has a chance at finding his pathetic son.

"With any luck, Rumpelstiltskin will get so caught up loving this new child that he'll eventually forget about Baelfire. If he doesn't, odds are the curse still won't work because it's being cast by the wrong person. Things will go wrong and wrong and ultimately he'll have to accept that he'll never see Baelfire again. It's simple as that."

The Genie paused to digest the tale that Cora had told him. Finally, he asked, "And this…servant girl? The one who admires your husband…who will give birth to his child…how will she factor into all this?"

Cora simply smiled and shrugged. "Oh, she'll do her part," she said. "She's been all but vying for my husband's attention since she got here."

"And that's…alright with you?" the Genie asked.

"You mean am I willing to live under the same roof as that little twit who thinks she can steal my husband from me?" Cora asked in reply. "Oh, I don't think it'll come to that. After all…childbirth is such a risky business, is it not? Some women just can't handle it…can they?"

The Genie's eyes widened. Cora smirked. "But I'm not here just to chat," she said. "What's the report on, Snow White?"

The Genie swallowed and tried to keep his voice calm. "She continues to allude us," he said. "It seems she's made friends with some of the trackers in the mountains. She's gotten very good at covering her tracks."

"Once a spoiled princess, always a spoiled princess," said Cora dismissively. "Look at my servant. Keep looking for her. Know that you'll never sleep until I have her bleeding heart in a box."

The Genie nodded solemnly. "Yes, mistress."

**Ying-Fa: Wow, this came out quick. I have surprised even myself! Thank you everybody so much who has reviewed and kept me going!**


	13. Letting Go

**Ying-Fa: Responses for last chapter were AMAZING! Thanks a lot, everybody!**

Belle knew she didn't have very much time. She found a bag and started stuffing it with everything she would possibly need; food, clothes, but nothing too heavy. She was leaving the Dark Castle tonight before Rumpelstiltskin and Cora returned from wherever they'd disappeared to after their argument. Belle opened the larder and started pulling small loaves of bread and some fruit into the bag, anything she could carry that wouldn't weigh her down.

Her heart was racing and her eyes were burning as she scanned the kitchen. It wasn't safe for her here, she knew now. Cora's attack on her had shaken her, but little had prepared her for what she'd overheard. Cora's plan for her was just too much and Belle wouldn't stand for it. She refused to allow herself to be used in such a way.

As Belle searched the cupboards, she felt something nick her index finger. She jumped back with a gasp then took a closer look at the offending object. Belle's heart stopped. It was the teacup that she'd chipped her first day here. She'd almost forgotten all about it. Cora had insisted she throw it away after it was damaged but Belle had decided to hold onto it, putting it away deep in the cupboard for safekeeping. She hadn't wanted to forsake this little reminder that goodness existed in the Dark One, even if he'd never admit it.

Belle's lip quivered as she carefully looked over the item. She'd been touched when Rumpelstiltskin had so adamantly refused to go along with Cora's plan. He'd spoken in Belle's defense, taking her into consideration, unlike Cora. The thought made her heart swell and her eyes water. If there was anything in this castle that would be missed, it would be Rumpelstiltskin.

Belle slipped the chipped cup into her bag and hurried off toward the door, swiftly. The castle was now very dark and very quiet. Belle kept moving through the shadows. Cora had had her working past sundown several times in the past, so Belle was used to making her way through the castle after dark. She grabbed the cloak that Rumpelstiltskin had given her the day they'd gone after the thief and slipped it on, drawing up the hood. Finally, Belle reached the door to that lead outside. She swallowed nervously, looked around to make sure she was alone, and then reached for the handle.

"You're leaving?"

Belle's heart nearly jumped out of her chest. She whipped around and noticed, standing in a shadowy corner she hadn't inspected carefully enough…

"Rumpelstiltskin," Belle gasped, horrified.

Rumpelstiltskin stepped slowly into a ray of moonlight coming from a window. He didn't look angry but Belle couldn't determine his expression, whatever it was. "You're leaving," he repeated, only this time he wasn't asking.

"I…" Belle stammered, trying to hide her bag. "I…I was just…um…"

There was a very awkward pause. Belle found herself shaking again. It was bad enough that she knew that Rumpelstiltskin had gotten permission from his wife to use Belle as a surrogate mother, but now she'd been caught in the act of trying to escape…there was no knowing what he would do. If she was lucky, he'd throw her back into the dungeon and pretend it never happened. At worse…Belle didn't even want to think. She tried to quell her fears and stop her silly shivering. She'd accept whatever was to come.

_Do the brave thing and bravery will follow._

Finally, Rumpelstiltskin spoke. "Smart of you," he said, tonelessly. "Taking off this late at night. These roads are safe enough and the moon would give you all the light you'd need. Without stopping you might make it to the village just as it opens."

Belle blinked, confused. Rumpelstiltskin took a deep breath and went on.

"I was just thinking we were low on a few supplies," he said, talking to Belle but not looking at her. "I'm sure Cora will be wanting some of the herbs that grow down there and I'm…I'm nearly out of straw."

Belle was still trying to make heads-or-tails of what Rumpelstiltskin was saying to her when it hit her. Could he really be saying what she thought he was?

"Are you…letting me go?" Belle asked, hardly daring to believe.

"You'll have to make haste, though," Rumpelstiltskin went on as though Belle had not interrupted. "You'll miss breakfast, that's unavoidable but I'm sure we'll be expecting you back for…for afternoon tea…like always."

Belle stared hard at Rumpelstiltskin. He was shifting his weight from foot to foot and was holding his hands behind his back and looking everywhere except at her. Despite all this, his voice was completely casual. He was being so strange.

"You…you trust me to come back?" Belle asked.

At that, Rumpelstiltskin's awkward fidgeting stopped. He shot Belle a slight look before lowering his eyes to the ground, a half-smile curling his lips. "Oh no," he said, quietly. "I expect I'll never see you again."

An odd pang of emotion hit Belle's heart and she covered her mouth to stifle a sob. He was releasing her. He was allowing her to go away. He was giving her back her freedom. Before she could stop herself, Belle dropped the bag, ran forward, and threw her arms around Rumpelstiltskin's neck.

Rumpelstiltskin responded to the embrace just as he had back in Sherwood Forest. Every muscle in his body was tight as a bowstring and his arms stayed firmly at his sides. But as they stood there, very slowly, bit-by-bit, the tension creeped out of Rumpelstiltskin's body. He relaxed in Belle's embrace and, just as slowly, his arms came up and wrapped themselves carefully around Belle's waist.

They stood there for a long while, simply holding one another. Belle tried her very best not to cry. She'd finally found what she'd been looking for in Rumpelstiltskin. _This_ was who he truly was. _This_ was the man behind the monster. Only a man could hold her like this, tightly but gently. A monster would never touch her so innocently. She'd finally found the Rumpelstiltskin she knew existed in him…

…and now she'd never see him again.

At long last, Belle pulled away slowly from Rumpelstiltskin and he did the same. Belle looked him in the eye. Even in the shadowy light she could make out his eyes; wide, golden, and sorrowful. Her eyes looked away from his and fell upon his frowning mouth. Maybe…just once…

Belle leaned in, but Rumpelstiltskin turned his head away sharply. He still didn't look angry. Indeed, he looked even more sad than before. Regardless, Belle kept moving in until her lips brushed his cheek. He made no response other than his body tightening up again, rigid and immovable. So, Belle stepped away and tried to catch his eye again, but he was once again refusing to look at her.

"Thank you," she murmured, her voice choked with emotion.

Rumpelstiltskin's only reply to was to mutter, "Don't forget about afternoon tea."

Belle let out a sad laugh before she turned her back on him. She grabbed her bag and made for the door. It opened without trouble and she slipped outside. She glanced at him one more time before shutting the door behind her, leaving the Dark Castle for the last time.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Rumpelstiltskin stayed rooted to the spot in the entrance hall until he felt Cora reappear inside the castle. He could hear her in the main hall. He took a deep breath, feeling as though he'd been holding it in since Belle stepped out the door. He then ordered his body to move, making his way into the hall where his wife was.

He entered the hall and Cora noticed him at once. "Rumple," she said, heavily. "I'm sorry if what I said upset you earlier. I just…"

But before she could say another word, Rumpelstiltskin took her face into his hands and crushed his lips to hers. Cora made a small noise of surprise which was muffled by her husband's furious kiss. Rumpelstiltskin wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her flush against him, deepening their kiss, devouring her whole. Cora's confusion didn't last long and soon she was participating eagerly in the embrace.

"Rumple," Cora sighed, lazily. She was trying to think straight, but it was too difficult when her beloved was lavishing her with such attention. "Rumple…what…?"

"I'm not giving up," Rumpelstiltskin panted, turning his head to focus his attention on her neck.

Emotions were boiling over. Passion was taking control of their bodies. A single thought of magic had transported them to their room, where they allowed their minds to cease all thought and their bodies took control.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_Rumpelstiltskin wandered slowly around the clearing. It hadn't taken too long to find out where she hid. Once he had found her, he knew she was show up. She'd never failed to do so before and she, of all people, would know there was no escaping him._

_ He heard a nosie behind him. He turned to see a hand reach out from behind a tree. In the center of the palm, a wide blue eye stared at him. Then the owner of the arm stepped into view. She had grown into a woman from the last time Rumpelstiltskin had seen her, her wavy red hair had grown past her waist and the vicious scars where her eyes should have been were prominent as ever._

_ "I've been expecting you," she said in her hollow voice. Of course she was._

_ "Then you know why I'm here," Rumpelstiltskin challenged._

_ "What I foretold during the Ogre War has come to pass," the Seer stated._

_ "Well, in a manner of speaking," said Rumpelstiltskin, with an air of sarcasm. "I hobbled myself on the battlefield, was branded a coward, my wife ran away and left me, then my son was called to the front, then I became the Dark One, THEN Bae left me." Rumpelstiltskin came closer to the Seer with every word he spoke. "So, yes, my actions on the battlefield left my son fatherless. But, it would have been _NICE_ to know all the pesky _DETAILS_!"_

_ "Knowing wouldn't have mattered," said the Seer. "You still would have been powerless to escape your fate."_

_ Rumpelstiltskin merely laughed. "Just…like…YOU!" He used his magic to squeeze the Seer's throat, closing off her windpipe. "You know why I'm here."_

_ "You…want…to find…your son," the Seer gasped._

_ "Indeed!" Rumpelstiltskin piped up, releasing her throat. "Tell me what must be done! And this time Don't. Leave. Out. A. Single. Detail!"_

_ The Seer took a deep breath. The eyes fitted into the palms of her hands rolled back. "You will find him," she breathed._

_ "HOW!?" Rumpelstiltskin demanded._

_ The Seer waved her hands, as though she were attempting to sort through the images she was seeing. "This will not be an easy path," she said. "It will take many years."_

_ "Tell me about the curse!" Rumpelstiltskin demanded. "The Blue Fairy told me there would be a curse."_

_ "Yes," the Seer gasped. "There is a curse…powerful enough to rip everyone from this land but…you cannot cast this curse…someone else must…and you…cannot break this curse…someone else…must…"_

_ "Go on," Rumpelstiltskin snapped. "I know there's more. Tell me."_

_ "I don't know," the Seer admitted, looking tired. "Even my powers have limits."_

_ "Ah, ah, ah," Rumpelstiltskin said, coldly. "Not good enough, dearie."_

_ The Seer gasped and found herself being choked again. "If you want to know…what the future holds…see it for yourself." She held out her hands so that the blue eyes stared imploringly at him. "Take this burden from me!"_

_ Rumpelstiltskin looked down at the eyes and felt a grin curl his mouth. "Gladly."_

_ The Dark One reached forward and grabbed the Seer's hands and began to drain her of her powers. The Seer let out an unholy scream. Images flashed through his mind, like an inner eye had been opened. Places he didn't know, faces he didn't recognize, images, waves, words flashed through his subconscious, almost blinding him with the intensity of it all._

_ "I can't…see…anything," he rasped. "It…it's too much, it's…all a jumble!"_

_ He let go of the Seer and she fell to the ground, drained of her energies and too weak to stand. "The future…is a puzzle," the Seer gasped as she lay on the ground. "With many…pieces missing. In time…you will be able to sort out what can be…from what will be."_

_ Rumpelstiltskin glared down at her, the images still rushing through his mind. "That's why you wanted to give me your power!" he snarled. "To free yourself from this torment!"_

_ "In time…you will sort it all out," the Seer said, weakly. "But…in gratitude…I offer you one piece…of the puzzle…"_

_ Rumpelstiltskin forced the images out of his mind as best he could, not wanting to miss a word of the Seer's prediction. The blue eyed palm faced him again._

_ "You can find your son," murmured the Seer. "But it will come…in a most unexpected way…"_

_ "How? HOW!?" Rumpelstiltskin demanded._

_ "You must…open your heart to love once more," said the Seer. "When you find the one…who will love you truly…for who you truly are…the path to your son will be revealed to you. But be warned…should your heart be lead astray…any hope you have of seeing him again…will be lost…."_

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Rumpelstiltskin opened his eyes. He was lying in his bed, wrapped in Cora's arms as he had been when he'd fallen asleep. His mind still abuzz from the dream-memory of the Seer, Rumpelstiltskin carefully extracted himself from his wife's arms and slid out of bed. With a wave of his hand, he was dressed in a silk robe and made his way toward the vanity.

Rumpelstiltskin summoned a piece of parchment and a quill. He wrote as quickly and as quietly as he possibly could, not wanting to disturb Cora's sleep. Finally, when it was finished, he used a thought of magic to send it where he wanted it to go. With any luck, the recipient would get to work immediately and nobody would have to pay the price for his going back on his deal with Belle.

With a heavy sigh, Rumpelstiltskin looked out the window. It was well past midnight and in another couple hours the dawn would come. Belle would be well gone by the time his wife arose, which is what he was counting on. He hoped his actions would be enough to give Belle a proper head start and prevent Cora from finding her and taking her vengeance upon her.

The thought of Belle only pulled at his heart. As much as he hated to admit it, Cora had been right. He had let himself fall into the dangerous trap of desiring one who was not his wife. He'd allowed himself to have feelings for Belle, which never should have happened. But how was he supposed to have been able to resist? Belle was such a kind, thoughtful, sweet, and caring person. Anyone would have feelings for her.

But he was not supposed to be just anyone. He was the Dark One. He was the most powerful person in all the realms. He should not have been swayed by the light that Belle brought into his life. But resistance had been futile…and Cora had paid for it.

Rumpelstiltskin frowned bitterly, hating himself. How could he have betrayed his wife like this? Cora was the one person in all the world who loved him and yet he'd let his heart stray from her? Unbelievable. Was he still so weak? Was he still nothing but a powerless mortal? But, he reminded himself, even as a powerless mortal, he'd never have contemplated letting his heart stray.

Still, he couldn't resist raising a hand to his cheek where Belle and so sweetly kissed him before she'd left the castle. The fact that she would deign to touch him at all would have made him unbelievably happy if it didn't make him feel so guilty. Nobody ever wanted to touch the Dark One. Nobody wanted to talk with the Dark One over tea. Certainly nobody wanted to be the Dark One's friend. Nobody had wanted to be Rumpelstiltskin the man's friend, either. That's what made Belle so unique. That's what made her so special to him. That's why his feelings kept betraying him.

"I'm sorry, Belle," he mumbled to himself, glancing over at his sleeping wife. "But I've already made my choice."

Cora was the only one who could help him find Bae…which meant Cora was the only one who could love him. There was no going back now.


	14. The Broken Deal

Rumpelstiltskin was on pins and needles all morning, waiting for Cora to discover Belle's disappearance. He sat at the table in the main hall, doing his best to act as if this were another morning. Cora, on the other hand, seemed to be in a particularly good mood. They're night together seemed to have done wonders to her spirits. She chatted about this and that while they waited for Belle to arrive. At least, _she_ was waiting for Belle. Rumpelstiltskin was merely holding his breath.

"What _is_ keeping that girl this morning?" Cora asked after awhile. "She's never this late, normally."

"You did give her quite the scare yesterday," Rumpelstiltskin reminded her in as natural a tone he could. "Perhaps she's anxious in that she believes you'll gouge out her eye with a breakfast spoon."

Cora let out a little huff. "Oh, Rumple, please. I told you, I just lost my temper, that's all."

"You told me that," Rumpelstiltskin agreed. "You didn't tell her that."

"Well," Cora said, standing up. "I just might if I go down there and find her still asleep. We allowed her more time so she could be more efficient, not lazier. I'm going to find out what's keeping her."

Rumpelstiltskin nodded and braced himself as she disappeared towards the kitchens. He'd been playing this out as best he could ever since he woke up this morning. He was prepared for everything that he would say and do when his wife remerged. Just as he was going through the plan one more time, Cora barged furiously into the room.

"Where is she!?" she demanded her husband.

Rumpelstiltskin frowned and blinked. "What do you mean "where is she"?"

"She's not downstairs!" Cora snapped. "She's not in the cell, she's not in the kitchen, and she's not ANYWHERE she's supposed to be! Explain!"

"I would if I had an explanation," Rumpelstiltskin snarled. "I would appreciate it if you didn't accuse me, my _dearest_ wife."

Cora reigned in her temper. "I'm sorry," she apologized irritably. "But if she's not downstairs than where is she? She couldn't have left without either of us knowing!"

"No, she couldn't," Rumpelstiltskin agreed. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Cora asked.

"You were gone when I got back…last night," Rumpelstiltskin reminded her. "After our…discussion and I left to think things over, didn't you leave the castle?"

Cora hesitated. "Yes," she admitted. "I stepped out to…to gather my thoughts."

"If neither of us were home…she could have left without either of us knowing," Rumpelstiltskin said, slowly. "And, after we got back, we were…distracted, were we not? It's just the same as when the thief escaped while we were gone."

"Indeed," said Cora, hot anger creeping up in her. "So that treacherous little twit slithered away in the night, did she? She's been here for months and she flees the moment she gets the chance! She forsakes the deal for what!? A prick on the finger that you healed immediately!?"

Rumpelstiltskin looked down at the ground, hoping to look as thoughtful as possible. "You don't think…she overheard what we were talking about last night?"

"Oh, I'll bet she did," said Cora, a mad gleam in her eyes. "She must have. It's the best explanation. I give her a chance to serve us, to help us, and this is her reaction is it? Is blessing us with a child so dreadful a fate that she would abandon everything she promised when she came here!? Oh, I'm going to KILL her! I'm going to find that wretched little princess and make her wish…"

"That won't be necessary," said Rumpelstiltskin, coldly.

Cora blinked. "What?"

"Belle has broken the deal," Rumpelstiltskin reminded his wife. "She's gone back on our agreement. So, naturally, I must go back on mine."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The journey through the forest at night was as dark and lonely as anyone would imagine. Belle had hurried as fast as she could down the mountain path and into the surrounding woods. The full moon had basked the world in a silvery glow that, somehow, had only made the darkness even deeper. Still, Belle didn't stop. She knew it was only a matter of time before Cora would realize she was gone. Even if Rumpelstiltskin told her that he'd allowed Belle to leave, Cora would still desire vengeance for trying to flee.

Belle had made it to the village town just when Rumpelstiltskin said she would. The town was just starting to awaken. Merchants and venders were setting up their goods for another day's sales. People were starting to come and go. After a long night of walking and fear, Belle was completely exhausted. Her feet ached something dreadful, she was hungry, she was still scared, and despite her cloak she was chilled to the bone. Belle found the village tavern and slipped inside.

The room was empty and the barman was nowhere to be found. The place was very cluttered with tables and chairs and so Belle found one in a shadowy corner and gratefully sat down. She opened her pack and pulled out some of the food she'd brought with her from the Dark Castle. The warmth of the tavern and the bread helped to ease the pounding, cramping ache in her legs so well, Belle ended up falling asleep where she sat.

Belle wasn't sure how long she got to sleep before a sharp poke in her side woke her up.

"I thought we'd told you lot no overnighters," snapped a woman's voice. "You're meant to pass out on the streets, not in my tavern!"

"N-no," Belle stammered, trying to remember where she was. She looked up into the face of a harsh-faced barmaid with wiry black hair and a beak-like nose. She was holding a broom, which she had obviously used to wake Belle up, and was now handling it like a weapon.

"I…I'm so sorry," Belle said, tiredly. "I…I've been walking all night. I just needed to find a place to rest."

"They've got inns for that nonsense," snapped the woman. "You look like you've got plenty of rest now, so out with you! We're closed until this evening, and then you can come back and "rest" all you like."

Belle didn't bother arguing. She climbed back onto her shaky legs and left the tavern before the barmaid could swat at her with the broom. The town was more awake now and the hustle and bustle of everyday life was starting to take place. Belle knew she couldn't stay here long. Cora would defiantly know she was gone by now. All Belle had with her was food, a blanket, her cloak and the chipped cup, but no money. How she wished that she had thought to take some of Rumpelstiltskin's spun gold with her. She might have been able to buy a horse or something that would help her travel, but now she had to stick with walking. Besides, the less she had to do with these people, the better. She didn't want anyone being punished by Cora for associating with her.

Belle made her way through the town towards the exit. She had no choice but to make it back on foot. Her legs were begging her not too, but she didn't have any other option. She was so busy thinking on what she should do when she almost collided with a donkey going the other way.

"Careful, over there!" a man bellowed when Belle stumbled and almost fell.

"I'm sorry," Belle apologized quickly. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

It was then that Belle noticed the donkey had been pulling a cart with a portly man driving. An enormous pile of hay was stacked in the cart and he was heading towards the gates.

"Are you…a deliverer?" Belle asked.

"Aye," said the man, looking puzzled.

"Where are you heading?"

"To King George's kingdom," the man replied. "His son is to marry King Midas's daughter in three days and orders are coming in everywhere."

Belle came over to stand beside the driver. "My home is Avonlea, the village governed by Sir Maurice. If you're going to King George's realm, Avonlea is right on the way. Could you take me there?"

The man eyed Belle uncertainly. "I promise I won't be a nuisance," Belle reassured him. "Once I get there, I'll pay you for your trouble."

"I've got no time for stops," said the man, gruffly. But after seeing Belle's anxious expression, he sighed. "But I can drop you off if it means that much to you."

"Thank you so much," said Belle, relieved.

"Hop in the back," the man said, jerking his thumb to the hay bail behind him.

Belle did just that. She sat amidst the hay and pulled her cloak over her face to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. The man snapped the reigns and the donkey lurched forward, leaving the village and taking off.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The cart ride was bone-jarring and uncomfortable, but Belle was in no condition to explain. She managed to sleep some more and, around midday, she shared some of her food with the driver. He remained stiff and roughly formal, but accepted her offer nevertheless.

Belle was so nervous and anxious it felt like all her insides were twisted in the wrong direction. Ever second she expected Cora to swoop down on her and take her vengeance out on her. She knew Rumpelstiltskin would try to defend her, but how much could he do against his wife? Belle held onto the chipped cup she'd taken from the castle. The thought of never seeing Rumpelstiltskin again was surprisingly hard to think about. It made her feel, if possible, even worse. The dread at losing the friend she'd made in Rumpelstiltskin coupled with her fear of Cora, doing nothing to make Belle feel any better. Once she was home, she thought, she could see her father, her friends and the sight of them would help her feel better. She needed them if she was to find any peace.

When Belle glanced up at the sky at almost a full day's travel, she saw dark clouds coming in from the direction they were headed. She blinked. They were very strange-looking clouds. They were oddly whispy and much too dark, even for storm clouds. Alarm shot through Belle's heart followed by dread. Those weren't clouds. It was smoke.

The rumble of many hooves suddenly echoed through the trees. A small group of horsemen appeared on the road, heading toward them. Belle ducked down to hide amongst the straw as they approached.

"Beware, stranger," one of the men called to the cart driver. "There's danger ahead!"

"Danger?" the driver called back.

"Aye," said one of the horsemen. He slowed to a stop while the others rode past. "There's destruction up ahead. Looks like it may have been an ogre attack."

"Ogres?" said the driver. "Can't be. I thought these parts were protected via truce."

"Doesn't look that truce did them much good," replied the horseman. "The village up ahead has been completely devastated. Nothing remains, no signs of life."

Terror filled Belle's heart as she listened with all her might.

"What village?" the driver asked, as though he could pick up on Belle's fear. "What happened?"

"It's the village of Avonlea," the horseman replied. "And it's been entirely destroyed."

**Ying-Fa: Thank you my reviewers! Betcha didn't see this comin' did ya? Don't worry, all will be revealed!**


	15. Despair and Hope

**Ying-Fa: Sorry about that last chapter, people. Hopefully this makes up for it!**

This was all her fault.

That's all Belle could think as she looked over the remains of her village, her birthplace, her home. The ogres had left nothing. Houses were smashed wide open, the ground was smashed with giant footprints, and the palace was reduced to rubble. Smoke and fires from torches still leaked into the air, signaling all of the destruction. Trudged through the debris, looking for a sign of life, but everything was still. There wasn't even a single corpse to bury. But the worst part, the absolute worst part of it all, was that this was all Belle's fault.

How foolish she had been, to think that Cora would let her out of the deal so easily. Rumpelstiltskin had been willing to let her go free, but Cora would naturally seek vengeance. Belle had let her selfishness take her away from her eternal enslavement and had completely forgotten the consequences of what leaving the Dark Castle would mean. Now, the very people she'd been trying to save were gone, all thanks to her.

Belle's horrified disbelief quickly dissolved into tears. She was completely alone now. The hay deliverer had taken off without her, she had nowhere to go, and there was no help to be had. She didn't dare go back to the Dark Castle, and even if she did it would do nothing to bring her people back from the dead. Her father, her only family, was gone. Not even in Rumpelstiltskin's dungeon had she ever felt this lonely, this afraid, or this hopeless.

"Hey! We found a breather!"

Belle's mourning was interrupted by a loud, crude voice. She turned sharply around and saw a small gang of four men closing in on her. Looters, she guessed, who had seen the destruction and come searching for something to pillage. Belle's heart began to race. She had no means to defend herself.

"The ogres left this place picked clean," said one of the looters. "But, lucky us, looks like they left us one little treat."

Belle backed away from them as she scooped up a handful of ash and soot, still warm from the charred remains of a farm house. The leader of the group grinned at her.

"No need to be nervous, sweetling," he said, leering terribly. "You just do everything we tell you, and we'll let you go. Who knows? You might even like it."

Belle's skin crawled as the man drew nearer. Finally, when he was close enough to count his missing teeth, Belle threw the ashes right into his eyes. He screamed in pain and anger and recoiled and Belle made a break for it, running as fast as she could. The looters followed close behind her.

Dodging through debris and rubble, Belle tried to shake off her pursuers. Her heart was pounding, unable to bear what was happening to her. Her mind was clouded with fear and loss and, inevitably, it caused her to trip on the hem of her cloak. Belle crashed down onto the ground and the looters were immediately on her. They grabbed her arms and pinned her down, the leader catching up with them as he rubbed ashes out of his eyes.

"Why do they always have to put up a fight?" he growled, leering down at Belle. "Y'know, I was gonna be all nice too. Now, what's the point? You're in for a rough ride, little lady."

Belle screamed in protest and tried to kick him as he knelt down beside her. Belle shut her eyes tight and struggled with all her might. She refused to stop fighting. She'd fight until they killed her…

Suddenly there was a whistling noise followed a loud _thunk!_ There was a sound like a gag and then of something heavy falling to the ground. Belle dared to open her eyes and saw the leader laying on the ground next to her, an arrow protruding from his temple, his eyes frozen in death.

The other looters spun around, frantically, searching for the shooter when another arrow shot out of nowhere buried itself right into another's back. They'd released Belle in their alarm, and she bolted away as fast as her legs could carry her. One of them took after her, just as he, too, was shot. He grabbed Belle's cloak as he fell, dragging her with him. Belle only just noticed a large stone on the ground before her head smacked down right on top of it. Pain shot threw her mind as stars burst in her eyes, and then she saw only darkness.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Belle awoke to an unbearable headache and the smell of medicinal herbs. Her head was pounding, yet she felt something tight wrapped around it, helping the ache. Slowly, Belle opened her eyes and, for a terrifying minute, she had no idea where she was. She was in a small shelter in the woods and someone was there with her, their back to her. Belle was startled and tried to sit up, but her head throbbed so terribly she had to stop. The person in the shelter turned quickly.

"It's alright," the person said. "Try not to move. You're safe now."

The voice was soft and kind. A woman's voice. Belle turned her watering eyes and saw a young woman, only slightly older than herself, looking down at her with concern. She was a very pretty woman too. Her brilliant red lips and her vibrant green eyes were a drastic contrast with the blackness of her hair and the whiteness of her skin. She smiled down at Belle in a motherly way and patted her arm soothingly.

"Wh-where am I?" Belle asked, her voice hoarse and groggy.

"You're safe," the woman said again. "These woods are protected. No one is going to hurt you here."

"How long…have I been here?"

"About a day and a half. A bump on the head like that will do that to you. You were lucky I came by when I did. I shudder to think what those looters might have done if I didn't. What's your name, honey?"

Belle blinked, still confused and her head still throbbing. "Belle," she answered.

"It's nice to meet you, Belle," said the woman, kindly. "My name's Snow. Snow White."

Snow White? That name sounded familiar. She knew if from somewhere, but her addled brain refused to cooperate with her. Suddenly, the realization hit her almost as hard as that rock had.

"Snow White?" Belle said. "The princess?"

Snow White smiled sadly. "I used to be," she said. "But not so much anymore. Where are you from Belle?"

The question brought all of Belle's misery back in one fell swoop. Her eyes watered with tears and she was too exhausted and weak to hold them back. "I'm not from anywhere anymore," she sobbed.

Snow frown sympathetically and she patted Belle's shoulder comfortingly. "Oh, Belle," she said, sadly. "That village, Avonlea…it was your home, wasn't it?"

Belle could only cry. It hurt to cry, but there was no stopping it. Snow White stayed with her, speaking in soothing nonsense and squeezing her hand. Finally, the pain and exhaustion caught up with Belle again and she slipped back into unconsciousness.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

When Belle awoke again, she felt Snow White's hands carefully removing the bandages around her head. "Try not to move too much," Snow told her, seeing that she was awake. "I need to take a look at this."

Belle did as she was instructed and let Snow White tend to her wound. The gash on her head was only half-healed and was still oozing dangerously. Snow grabbed a wooden mortar and pestle and dabbed a finger into its green, slimy-looking contents.

"These are some healing herbs that'll help the wound close and the swelling go down," she told Belle. "It's gonna hurt when I put it on, but it'll be worth it."

Belle tried to nod in understanding, but it hurt too much. Instead she weakly muttered, "Okay." Snow White coated her finger in the mixture and rubbed it as gently as she could over the gash. True to her word, the medicine stung and burned and Belle couldn't help but flinch. Snow hushed her calmly and continued her work and then wrapped Belle's head again with a fresh bandage. Within minutes, Belle's thoughts were much clearer and the throbbing dulled wonderfully.

"Can you move?" Snow asked.

Belle tried. She flexed her arms and legs and managed to push herself into a sitting position, with a little of Snow's help. Belle then looked over and managed her first smile in a long time.

"Thank you," she said. "For helping me."

"It was no problem," Snow replied.

"And the looters…that was you as well, I trust?"

"Well, me and a friend," Snow answered. "We'll be going to see him as soon as you're fit to travel."

Belle lowered her gaze. "But I have nowhere to go."

Snow smiled. "Maybe you're not as without hope as you think you are," she said, with a knowing look. "Here. I have some soup. You should eat."

Belle gladly took the bowl of broth from Snow and drank it greedily. It was, by far, the most delicious thing she'd ever tasted. It warmed her belly and filled her with a sense of peace. Who could have imagined that food could cheer someone up like this? Snow watched her happily while sipping her own broth.

When the bowl was empty and Belle had managed to lick the last of the salty taste from her lips, she turned her attention to Snow. "So," she said. "What exactly is a princess doing living in the woods?"

Snow hesitated for a moment before she answered. "Someone in my kingdom is trying to kill me," she said, solemnly. "And I'm going to find out whom."

Belle blinked. "Why would someone be trying to kill you?"

"I wish I knew," Snow replied. "When I was very young, my mother died unexpectedly. We thought she'd just fallen ill at first. My father and I tried to move on with our lives. My father was being pressed into finding a new wife, but he refused all offers. He'd loved my mother so much and he wanted me to be next in line for the throne. Any woman he married would have wanted her child to usurp the throne, but my father had made it clear that I was the heir. Then, about a year ago, my father died. Just like my mother, it was completely unexpected. I was to travel to the summer palace after my grieving period but, on the way, I was attacked by a huntsman masquerading as one of my father's knights. He'd been ordered to kill me, but he wouldn't tell me who had sent him. Luckily, he had a heart. He took pity on me and let me go. Ever since, people have been after me. Hired gangs of thugs with gold in their pockets would come after me all the time. I've tried questioning them, but they insist they'd rather take the names of their employers to the grave. That's why I've been in hiding.

"Someone out there is trying to kill me. And I'm going to find out who it is before they can succeed."

Belle let out a low breath. She'd heard of the Princess Snow White's mysterious disappearance after the death of her father, but she'd never known any of the details regarding what happened to her and her family.

"You think they're after your throne?" Belle asked.

Snow shrugged. "I have no idea what they're after," she admitted. Then she managed a smile. "But, that's enough about me. Are you feeling up for a little walk?"

"Um…I think so," Belle said, moving to try to stand. The herbs were doing wonders and her head was much clearer now.

"Good," said Snow, getting up and adjusting her emerald green cloak. "I brought your bag," she added, handing it back to Belle. "Let's go."

Snow trudged off into the woods, Belle doing her best to keep up. Now that her mind was clear, she noticed that these thick woods looked oddly familiar. "Is this…Sherwood Forest?" she asked.

"Yes it is," Snow said, appreciatively. "You're a sharp one, Belle."

"I've just…been here before on a short venture," Belle said, evasively. "But, what are we doing in Sherwood Forest?"

Snow looked back at her and grinned. "You'll see."

The two women walked through the woods for a long time, taking the occasional break for Belle. They seemed to be following some secret path that only Snow seemed to see, which would have lost Belle a long time ago.

"How…how are you so good at this?" Belle asked, breathlessly.

"I had a friend who knew a lot about tracking while I was hiding in the mountains," Snow explained. "It's a long story."

"I like stories," said Belle, smiling.

Snow laughed. "Well, unless you enjoy hearing horror stories of wolves then…"

Snow froze suddenly when the sound of a stick breaking caught her ears. She motioned for Belle to stop.

"What's wrong?" Belle asked.

"Nothing," said Snow slowly, as she calmly raised her hands into the air. "Just put your arms like mine and stay very still."

Belle raised her arms too but it did nothing to stem her confusion. "Why?"

"Because I don't want them to shoot us," she said, nodding towards the seemingly empty bushes up ahead.

Belle looked over and gasped. Several men had been hiding expertly in the woods, each one armed with a bow that was pointed directly at them. Snow White cleared her throat loudly.

"Tell your leader that Snow White has returned with the refugee from Avonlea," Snow announced loudly.

One by one, the men lowered their weapons.

"Snow Whi'e? Wiff a refugee, eh?"

A young man with a very thick accent stepped forward. He had very short black hair and heavily hooded eyes and a strong jaw. He grinned in a way that was both friendly and mischievous at the same time.

"Tha's awright wiff us," he said. "C'mon then."

Snow White nodded to Belle, signaling that it was okay to move. Belle tried to force her heartbeat to slow and she followed Snow White and the woodsmen. Another one of the men, who was very all and very hairy, wrapped blindfolds around Snow and Belle's eyes and led them deeper into the woods.

The further they went, they could hear the rumble of many voices. After what seemed like ages, the men finally removed the blindfolds to reveal a tiny, makeshift village that was full to bursting with people. They were all grouped together in families, each being seen to by woodsmen. Chickens and other livestock were gathered here and there, running amok. There was an air of controlled chaos about the clearing. When Belle walked into the midst of the crowds, many of them grew suddenly hushed.

"Any o' these gents look familiar?" said the young man who'd led them there.

Belle looked around at the people. They were all looking at her with the same revered looks, respectful, even tearful at the sight of her. Suddenly, her heart leapt.

"These…these people are from my village!" she gasped.

"Yup," said the man. "Every las' man, woman, and child of Avonlea huddled togetha righ' 'ere."

"But…but that would mean…"

"Will!" called a voice in the distance. "Who've you got there?"

Two more man appeared amidst the throng. The speaker was none other than the thief whose life she had saved from Rumpelstiltskin and Cora's dungeon: Robin Hood. And the man standing beside him…

"Father!" Belle cried, breathlessly. "FATHER!"

"Belle!?" Maurice gasped, his face white with shock and disbelief.

Belle rushed forward and threw her arms around her father, embracing him so tightly she thought she'd never let go. Maurice crushed his daughter to him, hysterical in his happiness.

"My dear Belle! My sweet girl! You're alive!"

Belle could do nothing more than cry. All the misery and grief she'd been carrying in her heart swept away with joy. The village might have been gone, but her people, her friends, her family, were alive and well.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"You have to tell me what's happened," Belle said awhile later.

She was sitting in Robin Hood's home along with her father, Snow White, Robin Hood, the young man who'd lead them here whose name was Will Scarlet, and Robin Hood's wife Marian.

"It all happened the other night," Maurice told her as Marian served everyone water, maneuvering as carefully as she could with very pregnant belly. "I'd received a message warning me of an imminent, unavoidable attack by ogres. The message said our only hope was evacuation, and that there was no time for delay. So, before the sun rose, I'd ordered the evacuation. We took only what we could carry. Shortly after sunrise, we heard the cries of the ogres and knew we'd made the right decision in fleeing. That's when we came across Princess Snow."

Snow White smiled. "I couldn't just leave an entire village to fend for itself. So I lead them here, to Sherwood and Robin and his merry men agreed to take them in."

"Neva mindin' the crowding issue," murmured Will Scarlet.

"Will," said Robin, warningly.

"I'm jus' bloody sayin'," said Will, raising his hands in surrender.

"It appeared that I had a debt of gratitude to the lady of Avonlea that I could never repay," said Robin Hood, grinning at Belle. "Taking in these villagers was the least I could do."

"But, this message," said Belle. "Who sent it? How did they know the ogres were coming?"

All eyes turned to Maurice, who pulled a folded piece of parchment out of his robe and handed it to Belle. "There's no signature," he told her. "I have no idea who sent it, but they saved our lives, whoever they are."

Belle unfolded the message. Written on it was the following:

_Tomorrow morning, there will be a massive attack upon the village of Avonlea by a horde of ogres. This attack is UNAVOIDABLE. You and your people must evacuate the village IMMEDIATELY. If you do not, you and all of your people WILL DIE. Do not take this warning lightly. Unless you want the sacrifice of our daughter to be in vain, you will evacuate your village NOW! Good luck to you all._

The words were serious and demanding, but that wasn't what Belle noticed most about the note. Her eyes filled with tears yet again as she clearly recognized the spidery handwriting on the note. The exact same writing she'd seen on the note she'd read her first day at the Dark Castle. She knew exactly who wrote this. She knew exactly who'd issued this warning that had saved so many lives.

Rumpelstiltskin had saved her people.

**Ying-Fa again: Is that any better?! Do you not hate me anymore! I even threw in Micheal Socha! Please tell me what you think.**


	16. Unspoken Feelings

**Ying-Fa: Hey guys! Sorry about the wait. I caught a nasty cold and spent most of this week asleep. I hope this makes up for it! Please continue to read and review!**

Robin Hood and Will took Snow White, Belle, and Maurice to a small hiding spot not far from the camp. At the base of a tree, he revealed several boxes loaded with gold and sliver.

"My merry men are under strict instruction never to take from anyone who can afford to lose it," he told them as he shared with them his stash. "We've been getting a bit of luck lately. Travelers from King Midas's realm have been gracious enough to pass through our forest to reach King George's kingdom for the merger of their kingdoms. We've taken to lightening their loads a bit. How many wedding presents do they need, really?"

Sir Maurice grunted. "I'd prefer other means of acquiring the wealth," he said, gruffly. "Than borrow stolen treasure from forest bandits."

"None of this wealth goes to us," Robin Hood assured him. "It's all given to those who need it. The people of Nottingham who suffer absurd taxes at the hands of Prince John, the starving farmers under the rule of King George, even the peasants of the Northern Kingdom who currently lack a ruler," he nodded pointedly at Snow White. "It all goes to them. Though, at the moment, the people of Avonlea need it most."

Maurice sighed heavily. "Then we graciously accept and are indebted to you, Robin of Locksley." (Maurice preferred Robin's formal name to his bandit one.) "The most important aspect of our village is what we managed to save: the people. With these contributions we can rebuild our homes in a new land."

"It is at your disposal," said Robin, graciously.

Snow White dug through the small fortune and discovered several items amongst the treasure chests. "What are these?" she asked, examining them.

"Magical artifacts," said Will Scarlet. "Every now 'n then, we come across an object wiff magical properties. They sell grea' to the 'ighest bidder."

"Though we don't make it a habit to dabble in magic too much," Robin said pointedly to Will. "It's too dangerous for simple thieves."

"Says the bloke 'oo broke into the bloody Dark One's 'ouse," said Will.

"Says the misguided soul who wanted to steal from Maleficent," countered Robin.

"Touché," muttered Will.

Belle was hardly listening as she looked down on Robin's offering of riches without actually seeing them. The gold only made her think of the piles of spun straw littered about the Dark Castle at the base of each spinning wheel. Was Rumpelstiltskin spinning straw right now? What was going on in that head of his, as he sat there, spinning away? Was Cora with him, basking in the glory of the destruction of Belle's village? The thought made her stomach turn unpleasantly.

"Belle?" said Maurice's voice suddenly. Belle snapped out of her depressing thoughts.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Dear girl, are you alright?" Maurice asked. "You seem out of sorts."

"I'm fine, Father, really," Belle insisted, forcing a smile.

"What are these supposed to be?" Snow piped up suddenly, a distraction Belle was grateful for. She was holding up a black, leather cuff and showing them to Robin Hood.

"Ah, good find," said Robin, smiling. "We lifted this from a pirate awhile back. This cuff has powerful protective spells on them that repel magic. There used to be a pair of them but I lost the other when I tried to get into the Dark Castle. Got me past the defenses, but didn't do much to escape the dungeon. I have Lady Belle to thank for that," he nodded in Belle direction.

"Which is somethin' I've been wantin' to ask," said Will. "'Ow did you get out of the Dark Castle anyway? 'Ow'd ya escape?"

Belle gulped, suddenly feeling rather on the spot. "I…I didn't escape," she said, quietly. "He…he let me go."

"Let you go?" said Maurice, disbelievingly. "That horrible beast and his mate simply let you walk away?"

"He…he said he didn't want me anymore," Belle invented. "I guess I wasn't a very good housekeeper. I suppose Cora wanted to really punish me and so…she took it out on the village."

Snow shook her head sadly. "That's no excuse. If the people hadn't got the warning when they did, all those lives would have been lost. How could anyone be so cruel?"

Belle nodded and lowered her eyes. Maurice came over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Fret not, my child," he said, affectionately. "Our people do not blame you in the least for our misfortune. As far as they are concerned, you're a hero who saved them. And I just know Gaston will be overjoyed to find you alive and well when he returns."

Belle blinked. "Gaston?"

"Yes," said Maurice, jovially. "He left the village some time ago to search for a way to free you but has yet to return. I'll have an envoy sent to him telling him that you are home and the villagers are safe. A noble wedding is just what we need to raise the spirits of our people."

Belle wanted to smile at her father, but couldn't. She'd completely forgotten about her engagement to Gaston. She'd considered the engagement broken when she agreed to leave for the Dark Castle, but now it only made sense that the plan be picked back up. Belle had never been enthusiastic with the idea of Gaston for her husband. He seemed more in love with himself than he'd ever been with her. Still, he'd been hand-picked from her father's knights as the only one worthy of her hand. Belle slightly hoped something would happen to disrupt the marriage before the ogre war. Now, however, the very thought of being married to someone she didn't love in the slightest made her feel, if possible, even worse.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

That evening, the people of Avonlea and the Merry Men of Sherwood were indulging in a feast to celebrate Belle's return. There wasn't much to go around, but everybody had an offering of food to share and there was music and dancing and a bonfire that made it all worth it. The spirits of the villagers were lifted greatly after the loss of their homes and managed to appreciate that their family, friends, and neighbors were all there with them. They forgot their misfortune to enjoy the blessings that they had. The only person who was not enjoying the feast, however, was the very person it was for.

Belle purposefully avoided her people and sought solace in the woods. The glow of the bonfire gleamed in the distance from where Belle sat alone in the darkness. In her hands, she toyed lightly with the chipped cup she'd brought with her. She ran her fingers over every inch of it, paying particular attention to the nick in the rim. She'd been a servant, a slave, in the Dark Castle. Yet, here she was, realizing that she'd never go back, and feeling sorry about it. There was no way she could have stayed; Cora would have gone through with her plan no matter what. Still, when she'd broken this cup, she'd have never guessed the day would come when she'd miss the castle, miss the treasures…

…miss the Dark One.

"You're missing out on quite the party."

Belle jumped and whipped her head around. Snow was approaching her, smiling kindly. Belle relaxed when she saw her and allowed the runaway princess to sit down on the ground next to her. "I wasn't really in the mood for it," Belle explained.

Snow smiled. "I don't like parties much either. The last time I was supposed to have one…it turned out to be the day I said goodbye to my mother for the last time."

"I'm so sorry," said Belle, sympathetically.

Snow nodded and her eyes fell upon what Belle was holding. "What's that?"

"Oh! Um…" Belle hastily tried to hide the teacup from Snow's view. "It…it's nothing. Just a trinket."

"Looks like it has some value to you," Snow observed. "Where'd it come from?"

"Nowhere," said Belle, evasively. "It's just…I guess…you could call it a souvenir."

"I see," said Snow. She looked at Belle for a long while before continuing. "Y'know, I couldn't help but notice you seemed…less than enthusiastic about reuniting with your fiancé."

Belle lowered her gaze. "I…I don't know what you mean," she lied. "Gaston is…a fine…handsome…capable knight."

"Really?" said Snow, raising an eyebrow.

Belle looked at Snow and knew there was no point in continuing. "Is it that obvious?"

"It is to the right person," Snow replied. "Guess I'm lucky that way. My father hadn't chosen a husband for me before he died. I've never had to deal with an arranged marriage."

"Well, it's not the most enviable position," said Belle.

"What would you rather do with your life, Belle?" Snow asked.

Belle thought hard and glanced at the teacup again. "I just…I went with Rumpelstiltskin because I thought that it would mean my life would be something worthwhile. I always wanted to be brave, go on adventures, see the world…do things that women don't always get the chance to do. Now that it's over…now the adventure's ended…am I just supposed to go back to my old life like it never happened? Am I supposed to just pick up where I left off and put all that behind me?"

Snow gave Belle a very kind look. "Belle, you're in Sherwood Forest with a band of noble thieves after surviving an ogre attack. You're one of the few people to ever escape the Dark One and live to tell the tale. You saved a whole village full of people by offering yourself up as a slave. You can do _anything_ you want. You're free to do whatever you chose. You don't want to be in an arranged marriage? Don't be. You want to see the world? See it. The world is a different place for you now."

"But my father…"

"Your father expects too much from you if he thinks you ought to fit yourself into this mold that you want nothing to do with," said Snow, seriously. "Seriously, arranged marriages are just…just so primitive! I mean, at best they're mergers so that two countries can share gold or, at worst, it…it's practically dealing in people's lives. The whole thing is just ridiculous and if the couple don't even _like_ each other or know _anything _about the other…."

Snow seemed to realize she was rambling when she saw the look on Belle's face. She then gave a slight cough and apologized under her breath. Belle felt herself grinning.

"I thought you weren't in an arranged marriage," she said, slyly.

"I…I'm not," Snow said, still looking uncomfortable.

"But someone else is?" Belle prompted.

Snow sucked her lips into her mouth and her eyes darted away. Belle's smile got wider.

"Who is he?" she asked, teasingly.

Snow shot Belle a sideways look before letting her face fall into her hands in embarrassment. Belle giggled and nudged her with her shoulder. "Come on! Who is he!?"

Finally, Snow sighed and gave in. "Alright! It's…it's King George's son. Prince James."

Belle blinked. "The one who's marrying King Midas's daughter?"

"The very same," Snow answered heavily. "It's so stupid. We just met one time! I…may have accidentally…taken something of his and…he wanted it back and…we just ended up…spending some time together."

Belle grinned. "Sounds like love at first sight to me."

Snow let out a hollow laugh. "More like "hit-him-in-the-face-with-a-rock" at first sight."

The two women laughed a long time at that. Belle was glad she could still laugh after everything she'd been through. It was quite a relief. It made her feel lighter, happier than she'd been in a long time. After awhile, the laughter died down but the two women still had smiles on their faces.

"But there's nothing I can do," said Snow, her smile turning sad. "He's getting married. They say it's gonna happen."

"Well," said Belle. "If he looks the same way thinking about you that you do thinking about him…I have a pretty good feeling he'd call of any wedding he might have in mind if you went to talk to him."

"You think?"

"Absolutely. Sure you only met him once but…if what you think is there is real…you have to fight for it. For all you know, he's dreading this wedding as much as you are. If you want to be with him…you should go to him."

Snow looked over at Belle and she could see a bit of fire returning to those brilliant green eyes. "You're right," she said. "You're absolutely right."

"I know I am," said Belle.

"I think I'll go see him…just before," said Snow, eagerly. "Just to…to make sure I'm not just dreaming all this up. And you," she turned to Belle. "What do you want to do? Is there anybody out there you love more than this fiancé? What would you rather do?"

Belle hesitated again. She thought a good, long while. What _did_ she want to do? Every time she thought about it, all she could think of was Rumpelstiltskin alone in his castle. She couldn't go back to him, not with Cora around. If only there was something she could do for him. If only she could give him something so that she was sure he'd be happy again, truly happy.

Then she remembered the argument she'd overheard the night she left. Cora said Rumpelstiltskin wouldn't rest until he'd found the son he'd lost. He was gone in some other realm and they needed someone to cast a curse to find him. Belle couldn't go back and agree to Cora's plan for her. But if there was some way…

Something clicked suddenly in Belle's mind. Something she'd remembered from her books a long time ago. "Snow," she said, slowly. "Wasn't King George's kingdom the last known place where…where giants used to live?"

Snow's brow furrowed in confusion. "I…think so. But there aren't any more giants in this realm. They all escaped using their special crop…"

"Magic beans," said Belle, her eyes lighting up.

Without another word, Belle threw her arms around Snow White and took off running.


	17. The Beanstalk

**Ying-Fa: Hey guys, sorry for the wait (again). Hopefully this will make up for it. Thanks again for sticking with me this far!**

The next morning, Robin Hood and Marian were awoken by the sounds of a loud voice bellowing for the whole of Sherwood Forest to hear. Robin told his wife to stay in bed while he went to see what the commotion was all about. As soon as he got out of his hut-like home, he was ambushed by Sir Maurice.

"Have you seen her!?" he demanded. "Did she tell you about this? Where has she gone? What happened to her!?"

"Sire, please, calm yourself!" cried Robin. "Forgive me, but I was quite asleep a moment ago and I must admit I haven't the faintest idea what's going on."

"It's Belle," said Maurice, shrilly. "She's gone again! That beast must have come back for her. I should have taken her somewhere safer! What am I to do?"

"Are you certain the Lady Belle hasn't simply taken a stroll through the woods?" said Robin, as soothingly as possible. "There could be a perfectly logical explanation as to where she has gone."

"What's going on here?"

It was Snow White. She'd also heard Sir Maurice's frantic calls for his daughter and saw him confronting the outlaw so she came to investigate. Maurice rounded on her next.

"My daughter is gone!" he said, frantically. "She wasn't in our tent this morning! That beast came back for her, I know it!"

"Sire, be reasonable," said Robin. "If the Dark One really did come here, do you honestly think he would have left this entire came unscathed. Rumpelstiltskin is a showman. If he wanted to take revenge on your daughter, he'd have done it last night during the celebration, where everyone could see him, and make an entrance. As I said, perhaps the Lady Belle has simply left of her own devices for some peace!"

"Not befo'e she bloody raided us," came a fourth voice. It was Will Scarlet. "The 'idden stash 'as been tampered whiff, Robin."

"Was anything taken?" Robin asked.

"Jus' the magic cuff," said Will. "An' the Friar says one o' 'his maps o' King George's realm's been nicked as well."

"Magic cuff?" said Maurice. "King George's realm? That makes no sense. None of this makes sense."

"It does to me," said Snow, quietly. The three men turned to her at once. "I think she'd gone to find one of the magic portal beans the giants were famous for. King George's realm was the last place to see a giant. That cuff would have protected her against any magic protecting a giant's hoard."

"A portal bean?" said Maurice. "Don't be absurd! What would my daughter want with a portal bean? Why wouldn't she just tell me? We could have sent men to try and find one if she wanted it so badly."

"Maybe she wanted to do something for herself," said Snow.

"Belle is a lady," Maurice said, incredulously. "She shouldn't embark on such a venture and she knows that. After all she's been through with the destruction of our village, I _shudder_ to think what she suffered at the Dark Castle, and she should be here with her people! She should be resting, she…"

"Is no longer the person she was before," said Snow, gently. "Belle is her own person. She should be able to do what she wants and not ask for permission. I spoke with her last night. This is something she seemed to really want…"

"If you had a part in this than you ought to go back for her," bellowed Maurice. "Everyone knows that those beans were destroyed with the extinction of the giants. She's embarked on a pointless quest. You and I will take off at once with all the men we can spare and…."

"Belle is being lead by her heart," Snow interrupted again, this time looking Maurice fiercely in the eye. "Heaven forbid I take that away from her! But I will keep and eye out for her." She then turned to Robin Hood and Will. "Thank you again for your hospitality, Robin. But I'm afraid I must leave for King George's kingdom immediately, for an entirely different venture."

Robin Hood smiled. "It will be a shame to lose you," he said. "But may I ask why you are headed for King George's realm if not to follow Lady Belle?"

Snow lowered her eyes and smiled to herself. "Let's just say there's a certain charming prince I have to talk to before it's too late."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Of all that was destroyed back at Avonlea that had to be left behind, Belle couldn't have been more grateful that her father had managed to save her horse, Philippe. Though old and not as sprightly as he'd been in his youth, Philippe had managed to get her safely out of Sherwood Forest and into the woods surrounding the realm of King George. The woods weren't as thick here as they were in Sherwood and they were much more populated. There were mills and hunting shacks and other trades that made their living in these woods. Belle had made good use with Friar Tuck's maps, but the villagers were more than happy to point her in the right direction.

According to rumor, there was a pathway to the giant's realm somewhere in a large clearing in the woods. The last of the giants had been killed or banished, but Belle was sure that was the only place she would ever find the magic bean she was looking for. She and Philippe trudged through the woods, determined yet with doubt constantly biting at her conscience.

She felt guilty that she'd left without leaving a note or telling her father, but she couldn't take the risk. She knew full well that he would do anything in his power to stop her from going, especially if he knew why. In her father's eyes, Rumpelstiltskin was the monster who'd abducted his daughter and sent ogres to destroy his village. If he knew that Belle was doing all of this to do something nice for the person who'd worked her as a servant, he'd never allow it. But Belle knew Rumpelstiltskin better than almost anyone. She knew he was not a dark creature. She knew that somewhere within him there was a kind man, someone who was merciful and true. There was a man who would spare Robin Hood and allow Belle to escape.

And knowing that such a man might never surface again broke Belle's heart. Now that he had nobody to encourage that side of him, he might want to be the person she knew him to be. Cora liked her husband to be the evil monster that the world presumed him to be (and, if Belle was honest, there was a part of him that liked it as well). Cora wouldn't try to help him be his best self because she liked the part of him that was powerful and cruel. Under Cora's care, the man Belle knew would fade away into nothingness so that only the darkness remained.

_I'm_ _being so selfish,_ Belle thought suddenly, guiltily. She was deliberately interfering in another person's life. All that had happened in the Dark Castle just proved to Belle that she had no business with Rumpelstiltskin or Cora. She was doing this because the thought of Rumpelstiltskin, sitting in the darkness at his spinning wheel while Cora sat beside him, just made her stomach churn.

But if she could give him his son back, she figured, and then maybe he could be the one to bring Rumpelstiltskin back to his old self. Maybe the sight of his long lost child would be what brought him out of the darkness at long last and maybe, just maybe, Cora as well. The thought of the family together again made her happy for them, but she couldn't help but feel a little sad as well, though she wished she knew why.

Belle was so lost in thought that when Philippe suddenly reared and whinnied loudly she was almost thrown clean off his back. She'd managed to grab hold of the reins just in time and guided him back on all fours, her heart racing painfully in her chest.

"Philippe! What's wrong?" Belle asked. Then she looked ahead and saw what it was that startled her horse…and it didn't make her feel any better either.

Belle had steered her horse into a clearing and was now beholding the strangest sight she'd ever seen. In the center of the clearing there stood the most magnificent beanstalk, nearly ten times the width of a normal beanstalk and so tall that it disappeared into the sky. Belle couldn't even see the top, it was so high up. The stalk stood straight and as green and fresh as if it was newly sprouted. The vines were thick as a large man and snaked together to form the gigantic pillar. This, surely, could be nothing else but a link between this world and one that lay hidden in the clouds.

Belle slid off her horse and gingerly approached the massive structure with an analytical eye. By the looks of the thing, a person could climb for years and never get anywhere. Still, it was her only chance. Somewhere up there was the adventure she'd always dreamed of.

_Do the brave thing and bravery will follow._

Cautiously, she stretched forth her hand to try and grasp one of the vines, but she couldn't. Some kind of force was pushing her hand away, making it impossible to grab hold. This had to be some kind of protection spell. Belle reached into the satchel she'd brought with her and took out the cuff she'd borrowed (and had every intention of giving back, she told herself firmly) and slipped it on. She reached for the vine again, and this time the cuff did its work. She grabbed hold of the vast plant and started to climb. Philippe whinnied urgently behind her.

"Don't worry," she called to him, turning around. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Philippe let out a snort and shook his head as if to say, "Urgh! Have it your way, but don't say I didn't warn you!"

Belle smiled at the faithful animal and turned her attention to the beanstalk and began to climb.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Climbing a beanstalk so tall that it reached the clouds was exhilarating, exhausting, and utterly terrifying all at the same time, especially for someone who didn't make climbing an everyday thing. Belle's arms and legs ached from hauling herself up the massive structure, it got harder to breathe and the less she allowed herself to look back down at the ground, the better.

While still keeping a strong grip on the smaller vines, Belle found a particularly twisted and fat one she was able to sit in awkwardly as she caught her breath. The climb was going very slow, but she was definitely making progress. Before she could stop herself, she glanced back down at the ground and immediately wished she hadn't. She could see King George's castle in the distance, shrunk to the size of a child's toy. The ground was looking terribly far away and she couldn't even make out Philippe anymore. She turned her gaze upward and simply saw a lot more beanstalk and a lot more sky. She let out a miserable groan.

_All this for the hope of a bean_, she thought. _A bean for another woman's husband! A bean…that would mean happiness and light for her friend she'd never see again._

Belle steeled her stomach again and looked down at the ground. It wasn't too late. She could just climb back down, get on her horse, and go back to Sherwood Forest. She could apologize to Robin Hood and her father and simply live her life, end up married to Gaston, and go back to the person she was before.

But she wasn't the person she was before. She was stronger now. She'd worked a servant's work and suffered at the hands of a cruel master. She'd witness the last shreds of good in the Dark One himself and shared his pain. She'd been stabbed in the hand, fled for her life, endured the destruction of her village and now she was doubting herself!?

No, she decided. This was the point of no return. She'd keep going and there would be no going back after this. She'd gone too far. She couldn't give up now. With her determination back, the unbearable ache in her arms and legs seemed to lesson and she continued to climb as hard and fast as she could.

The higher she went, the darker the sky seemed to become. Was night descending already? Was this climb really taking her that long? But as she glanced back up, she realized she was no longer looking at the sky. She was in the shadow of a great foundation floating in the sky with a vast hole that the beanstalk fit through. Her heart hammering, her muscles worn thin and her lungs burning, Belle kept climbing.

The foundation came closer and closer until Belle climbed right through the hole in the center of the foundation. She saw solid ground above the foundation and reached for it with her foot. Once her feet were safely planted on this firm ground, she collapsed with a loud groan, every part of her body aching.

The air was suddenly easier to breathe up here, wherever she was. When she recovered enough, Belle glanced around and saw she was in some kind of courtyard. Stone paths lead through a dried up lawn leading toward the most massive mansion she'd ever seen in her life.

A mansion where only a giant could call home.


	18. The Good In Any Beast

Belle looked around at the mansion before her, shaken yet awestruck by it. The massive structure was made of blackish blue stone that was rough and unpolished. It was cracked and damaged and felt more like ruins than any real home. The ground surrounding the giant's house was dry and cracked and nothing grew but dead grass. It seemed like nothing grew here for years. There would be no plucking portal beans harmlessly from the yard. If any of them were left, they would be inside the mansion.

Recovering most of her strength, Belle got to her feet and gingerly approached the house. Hopefully this place was as abandoned on the inside as it was on the outside. From what she'd heard about giants, grinding a man's bones for its bread was the least they could do. The less she had to do with any giant, the better. She approached the door, but it was almost a story tall and looked terribly heavy, and the rusted hinges were sure to make a terrible ruckus. She had to find some other way inside. Belle began to walk around the mansion, which was a challenge. It was twice the size of her own castle and her whole body still ached from the climb up the beanstalk.

To her relief, the left side of the house looked like it had suffered battle damage that hadn't been repaired properly. The ground was littered with fallen stone and an enormous boulder, no doubt launched by a catapult, lay among the debris. The repaired wall looked like someone had simply tried to stack some of the stone back in place. The effort seemed half-hearted and uneven. Near the top, she could see flickers of light coming from within the mansion. This was both good and bad news. The good news, she could simply scale the wall and slip inside. The bad news, lights meant that someone was home.

Unwilling to climb something again but seeing no way around it, Belle steeled herself and carefully climbed the haphazard wall. The holes were just big enough for her to slide through on her belly and she caught the first glimpse of the inside of the giant's home. The light coming from within had nearly blinded her and, once her vision cleared, she could see why.

The place was the biggest hoard of gold she'd ever seen in her life. Coins, statues, goblets, jewelry, all of it was pure gold. Belle managed to get herself out of the hole in the wall, and found a tall golden statue of a goddess which she used to carefully slide back down to the ground. She stared around the treasure trove in wonder. She'd never in her life seen so many riches and being a noble lady who'd lived for some time in Rumpelstiltskin's castle that was saying quite a lot. Yet her heart had no love for gold. Right now there was only one thought that crossed her mind as she stared around at the greatest fortune the world had to offer.

How on _earth_ was she going to find a bean in all this rubbish?

She walked slowly through the chamber, keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of a portal bean. She found a few ornate gold boxes, but had opened them to find them empty. She'd brushed through piles of gold coins as quietly as she could only to find more gold coins underneath. Belle was starting to feel desperate. For all she knew, any beans this place had to offer could be buried beneath a mountain of treasure.

Belle walked through the trove, careful not to tread too loudly across the gold coins that seemed to love to clank and chink very loudly when disturbed. Suddenly, Belle felt something stiff under her boot, like a thick twig or branch. But looking down, she quickly discovered it was _not_ a branch. It was a bone. The arm bone of a complete human skeleton that lay across the ground at her feet. Belle gasped and had to clamp her hands over her mouth to stop from crying out. The skeleton was sprawled across the ground as if whoever it was had simply fallen there and died and nobody had moved it since. Beside one outstretched arm, a great broadsword lay next to its dead owner. The word "Jack" was embedded in the blade. Belle approached the blade and carefully ran a finger down the flat end of the blade. It was oddly and something slippery came off on her finger. She brought it up to her nose and sniffed critically, then recoiled. The sword was coated in poison.

Suddenly wanting to be as far away from both the skeleton and the sword as possible, Belle turned to leave and barely managed to save herself. There was a thin wire stretched across the ground. The trigger for some kind of trap. Belle tried to back away, but lost her balance and fell into a pile of coins, which cascaded down to the ground in a thunderous wave of sound. Belle fled from the noise and took cover in a dark corner just when she felt it.

_THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!_

The ground trembled as the force of something colossal started making its way toward her. Gigantic footfalls disrupted the treasure and, rounding the corner into the chamber, Belle laid eyes on a giant for the first time.

He was tall and broad as a tower with long, shaggy black hair and beard. A wide face with small eyes glowered as he searched for the source of the disturbance. He lifted his huge head up, straining his ears for further sound, inhaled through his immense nostrils as if trying to smell for her. Belle stayed as still and quiet as it was possible to do, she didn't even want to breathe lest this great creature be her end.

The giant continued to look around before his eyes found the skeleton and the trip wire Belle had nearly avoided. He got down on one knee, causing the whole mansion to shake, and examined the trip wire. He then looked up at the ceiling and Belle followed his gaze. A vast cage hung from the ceiling, waiting to fall and trap anyone who fell victim of the wire. Belle now knew what to avoid.

Eventually, the giant seemed to think he'd simply been hearing things. He then turned his attention to the treasure and started scooping through it with hands the size of peasant huts. Belle groaned inwardly.

_Go away,_ she pleaded silently. _Please, just go away! I can't leave without him seeing me. Please, just leave. Then I can get out of here._

But the giant did not leave. Instead, he found what he had been searching for amidst the gold (which was more than Belle could say). Taking whatever it was he had in his great big hands, he sat down on the ground causing another quake amongst the house. He then settled among the gold, apparently getting himself comfortable. Belle suppressed the urge to cry in frustration. She was scared and cornered and had no way of escape. This venture had been the worst idea in her whole life. She was going to either be killed by that giant or be stuck here until she starved. She was…

Belle's dark thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sounds of music. She turned her attention back to the giant and almost couldn't believe her eyes. Held within those colossal hands was a tiny golden harp and those vast fingers were running very gently across the strings. It wasn't really a tune, but it seemed to fill the spacious room more than any gold could. Belle sat in her hiding place, transfixed by what she was seeing. She looked up at the giant's face and suddenly Belle felt her chest tighten and her eyes water with tears. The giant was looking down at the friendly little instrument as though it was all he had in the world; his black eyes were empty and his mouth pull down in a sad frown.

He looked so lonely. It was the saddest sight she'd ever seen.

Belle hadn't noticed she'd been inching towards the giant until her hand slipped, causing yet another shower of coins. The music stopped. The giant looked up and he was looking right were Belle was hiding. Her cover was blown.

The giant rose to his great feet, his face was a mask of rage. Belle sprinted from her hiding spot and tried to run, but it was impossible. Almost at once, a shadow fell over her and she was suddenly encased in the crushing grip of the giant, her arms pinned to her sides under his massive fingers.

"I _KNEW_ IT!" roared the giant. Even his voice seemed to cause the building to rattle. "I thought I heard something and it was YOU! Filthy humans! How did you get up the beanstalk!?"

"P-please," Belle gasped, trying to breathe through the giant's constricting grip. "I-I mean no harm I just…I'm looking for something."

"Oh COURSE you are!" yelled the giant. "You're a HUMAN! All humans ever do is try to take what isn't theirs! Greedy, lying, scheming things that massacred my people and took all our beans!"

"M-massacred," Belle panted. "I-I heard there was…a war."

"The victors always get to tell the tale," said the giant, grimly. "But I won't be fooled again! You'll pay for what you've done."

The giant hand holding Belle began to tighten and Belle knew she was going to die…

_Thunk!_ "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Belle didn't even realize she'd been released until she found herself on the ground, breathing air greedily into her lungs. The giant was looking at his hand and noticed something embedded in his flesh. To him, it was the size of a toothpick but for someone like Belle it was clearly…an arrow.

"Belle!"

Belle turned around and saw Robin Hood drawing nearer to her, another arrow ready in his bow. He fired it at the giant and it shot right into the giant's cheek. He roared again in outrage and pulled it out like a thorn. Robin hurried and helped Belle to her feet.

"Let's go!" he demanded and started to pull Belle back toward the ruined wall. Belle started to follow him, but suddenly turned around. She could still see the skeleton lying a few feet away. An idea struck her. She pulled away from Robin Hood and started running in the opposite direction, toward the giant.

"Belle, no!" cried Robin.

The giant heard his cry and noticed Belle running. He tried to grab her again, but missed. Belle sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her and grabbed the broadsword from the skeleton's side and leapt over the trip wire. As the giant bounded toward her, she brought the blade down and severed the wire. The great cage fell from the ceiling and landed right on top of the giant, forcing him to the ground with a mighty _THUD!_

Belle approached the cage, pointing the sword at the giant threateningly. "Please," she said, looking him right in the eye. "I don't want to hurt you but I will!"

The giant eyed the sword warily. Belle guess that the poison it was coated in was deadly to giants. He knew he was trapped.

"Go on then," he said, bitterly. "Kill me. You might as well. Then you can go back to all your nasty human friends and tell them you've killed the last giant in all the realms."

"I'm not looking to kill you," said Belle, earnestly.

"Fine, then take the gold," snapped the giant. "Take all you want! I have too much already!"

"I don't want the gold either," Belle insisted. "All I want…"

It was then Belle noticed the giant had an amulet around his neck. In the center of a gold medallion the five times the size of a dinner plate, sat a small brown bean. Her heart leapt. "Is that…is that a portal bean?" she asked.

The giant's eye glanced down at the medallion. "No," he said. "Not anymore. This bean is shriveled and powerless now."

"But there are others like it," Belle asked.

"No, there's not," said the giant. "After we were invaded and my family died…I salted the earth here. There aren't any more beans. They're all gone."

Belle's heart sank, but she continued to eye the bean on the medallion. "Well…in that case, I'll take what I can get. You let me have that bean and…and I'll leave you in peace."

"I just told you! There's no point," snapped the giant. "It has no power! It can't take you to another world! Whatever problems you want to escape in this world, you'll have to find some other…."

"It's not for me!" Belle interrupted. "It's…it's for a friend."

The giant snorted in disbelief and rolled his eyes. Belle sighed and lowered the sword slightly. "Not all humans are terrible," she told him, softly. "Just as I'm sure not all giants are either. I don't know what happened here but…for what it's worth…I'm sorry."

The giant stared at Belle for a long moment and she could see him relax very slightly from behind the bars of the cage. Belle managed what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "What's your name?" she asked.

The giant hesitated before answering. "Anton," he said, gruffly.

"Anton," she said, pleadingly. "Please…down below there's someone who feels just as alone as you are now. Someone who has lost something invaluable in another world. This bean, no matter how shriveled, may be his only chance at ever having true happiness again. Please believe me. I'm not doing this out of selfishness. Please, Anton…will you give me the bean?"

Anton simply stared at her for along time then, finally, he plucked the bean from the medallion and flicked it over to her. "Here," he muttered. "I don't know what good it'll do you but…."

Belle bent down and picked up the bean and put it in her pocket. "Thank you," she said, sincerely. "Thank you so much, Anton."

Belle then dropped the sword and made her way around the cage to where Robin Hood had stood, dumbstruck, was he watched the entire confrontation.

"How on earth did you do that?" he asked, dazed.

"How on earth did you make it up that beanstalk so quickly?" Belle countered.

"I got a little help from…"

Robin Hood's answer was drowned by the sound of breaking metal. Anton the giant had stood up and ripped himself free from the cage. He turned and glared down at Robin Hood and Belle. Robin stood in front of Belle, shielding her, but it was unnecessary. The giant strode clear across the treasure chamber in three long steps to the front door of the mansion. He pulled up the great beam that had sealed it shut and pushed the huge doors open. He then turned to the two tiny humans and pointed out the door.

"Leave," he said, gruffly.

Robin Hood blinked. "You're letting us go?"

"I don't care about you!" he snapped. "But she…she could have killed me…but she didn't. So…so you can both go. Now! Before I change my mind."

"It's okay," said Belle, patting Robin reassuringly. "He'll let us go. I know he will."

The two humans hurried towards the doors and the giant watched them go. Belle managed to give him one final smile, hoping it was enough to express her gratitude before running out the door and leaving the giant behind.

Robin Hood and Belle hurried toward the beanstalk and Belle prepared to climb down.

"There's no need for that," said Robin, as he took a small pouch from his belt. "We can go my way."

"Your way?" Belle asked, confused.

Robin Hood grinned. "When you went missing I went to the Blue Fairy for a little help," he said, shaking the pouch and winking. "Did you know that pixie dust has the power to make people fly?"

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Far away, in the confines of the Dark Castle, Cora looked in at her husband through the door to the main hall. He was sitting at his spinning wheel, like usual, but something was different. His movements were much slower than normal, more deliberate. His eyes were downcast and he was very quiet. Her husband had been this way for some time now, since the girl betrayed them and her village was destroyed. Ever since, Rumpelstiltskin hadn't quite been his manic, boisterous self.

It would only take his wife to know what was wrong with him. Though some might have been concerned by these outward signs of depression, it gave Cora a glimmer of hope. She was getting close to achieving her goal. The beginnings of that which she wanted most of all were finally starting.

Her husband was seriously considering giving up on Baelfire at long last…and Cora couldn't be happier for it. Rumpelstiltskin hadn't said anything to her, but she could tell. The failure with the girl was putting doubt in her husband's head. He was starting to believe that maybe he never _would_ see his son again. But his heart still wanted to hope. He'd clung to that hope for so long it was only natural that it would prove to be a challenge to get rid of.

But Cora could wait. She had all the time in the world.

**Ying-Fa: Hey guys! I swore I'd get this up today but yikes if this one was hard to write! I hope it was worth it!**


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